It’s been a bizarre ODI game until now!
With the number 1 and number 2 ODI teams facing off against each other, one had expected a more balanced and competitive contest, but that wasn’t the case to be.
And while that might have frustrated the neutral cricketing fan(and the South African fans too), something more frustrating took place when the umpires called for Lunch despite India needing just 2 runs to win.
Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were cruising along, after Rohit Sharma departed due to mistiming a short ball from Rabada.
As South Africa were bowled out in just 32.2 overs, the Indian team had enough time to knock off those 118 runs, and with India batting at a run-a-ball, the umpires provided the Indian side with a 15 minute extension to complete the run-chase.
However, India fell short by 2 runs and the umpires asked the players to go off for Lunch, much to the surprise of Virat Kohli, was absolutely caught off guard with the decision of the umpires, as it would have taken maybe just a ball to complete the formalities.
With no rain in the atmosphere, this decision of the umpires can be laughed at, but if rain would have been around, Kohli and India would not have gone off the field without a fight, as South Africa had just bowled 19 overs and you need at least 20 overs to constitute a 50 over game.
This is how Twitter reacted:
If you have ever felt useless in life.. Remember SA will come back after lunch to defend 2 runs.. 😂😂😂 2nd ODI is turning dramatic!!#INDvSA #SAvIND
🔃If agree
— Singham 💥Shilpa Shinde💥 (@BeingSingham) February 4, 2018
Team India require 2 runs to win the 2nd ODI vs South Africa and umpires decide to take LUNCH!
Bizzare! 😂 #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/m7dk69h9po
— Cricket24.com (@Cricket24_com) February 4, 2018
What the hell is going on 😂
India just need 2 runs to win & umpires want lunch breakAkhand Chutiyapa 😂
🔃If agree#SAvIND 2nd ODI #INDvSA
— Singham 💥Shilpa Shinde💥 (@BeingSingham) February 4, 2018
Why break just for 2 runs? Couldn’t understand the logic
— Ishan Yadav Mahal (@BeingIshanCric) February 4, 2018
Are You Serious??? Taking lunch with India needing 2 runs to win. Cricket is its own enemy. 🙈🙊 #SAvIND
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 4, 2018
2 runs to win and they go for Lunch for 40 mins.
This is why Cricket can never be part of Olympics. #SAvIND
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) February 4, 2018
What logic of taking a break with 2 runs remaining? In whose interest? It is like slow poisoning SAF. They know they are losing. #IndvSA
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) February 4, 2018
Kohli should retire, and send Dhoni to hit the longest six the world has ever seen to win this. #2runs
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) February 4, 2018
Cricket is a ridiculous game! You can’t be taking lunch when the team needs 2 runs.
Have you lost it @ICC?
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) February 4, 2018
The umpires call Lunch with India needing 2 runs to win.
Never change, cricket. Never change. https://t.co/iLypPbevwF
— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) February 4, 2018
Isn’t there anything that could be done, for 2 runs, so much has to be done over again, this is where the Referee should interfere #SAvsIND #wasteoftime
— subramani badrinath (@s_badrinath) February 4, 2018
Wow. Wow. Taking lunch with 2 runs to get. This is a big time farce. Get real, @ICC. pic.twitter.com/hOC8ldOVVK
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) February 4, 2018
At times cricket doesn’t help itself – 2 runs needed to win the match and they take lunch #SAvIND
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) February 4, 2018
If you thought ICC making Team India wait forty minutes for just 2 runs was a joke…here’s bigger one…BCCI loses its website rights for not paying up Rs 17,000 in time! @abpnewstv
— G. S. Vivek (@GSV1980) February 4, 2018
Umpires treating Indian batsmen like PSU Bank treat customers. Lunch ke baad aana #INDvSA
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 4, 2018
