Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh endured a disastrous outing during the 2nd T20I against South Africa in Mullanpur on Thursday, most notably delivering a chaotic over that included an astonishing seven wide balls. The over, which saw South Africa amass 18 runs, drew an angry reaction from head coach Gautam Gambhir in the dugout and sharp criticism from commentator Sunil Gavaskar.
The Marathon Over: 7 Wides, 18 Runs
Bowling the 11th over of the South African innings, Arshdeep completely lost his rhythm after being hit for a six by the in-form Quinton de Kock on the very first delivery.
- Loss of Control: Under immense pressure, Arshdeep’s line went awry as he bowled a streak of seven wides, struggling primarily to keep the ball within the tramline outside the off-stump in his attempt to bowl wide yorkers.
- Joint-Longest Over: The overstretched to a marathon 13 deliveries and conceded 18 runs in total. This over equaled the record for the longest T20I over bowled by a player from a full-member nation, matching the 13 balls bowled by Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq in 2024.
- Unwanted Record: Arshdeep also set an unwanted Indian record for the most wides bowled in a single T20I over.
Furious Reactions from Dugout and Commentary Box
The visible loss of control from the pace spearhead resulted in widespread frustration:
- Gautam Gambhir’s Anger: Head coach Gautam Gambhir was caught on camera in the dugout, visibly losing his cool and gesturing angrily as the flow of wides derailed India’s momentum. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were also reportedly annoyed.
- Sunil Gavaskar’s Criticism: Commentator Sunil Gavaskar slammed the pacer, stating, “You can’t be bowling the same line over and over again,” criticizing the repeated poor execution.
Match Outcome
The bowling struggles contributed significantly to a difficult night for India, who had opted to bowl after winning the toss in the first-ever men’s international match at the newly unveiled Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
- South Africa’s Score: Powered by a blistering 90 off 46 balls from Quinton de Kock, South Africa posted a formidable total of 213/4 in 20 overs. India’s pacers had an expensive outing, with Arshdeep conceding 54 runs in his four overs and Jasprit Bumrah conceding 45 runs without a wicket.
- India’s Chase: In response, India struggled to find rhythm against disciplined South African bowling, ultimately being bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs. Despite a fighting 62 off 34 balls from Tilak Varma, India lost the match by 51 runs.
This victory for South Africa leveled the five-match T20I series at 1-1.