Watch: Mohammad Rizwan was given out in controversial manner during the Boxing Day Test match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after the third umpire confirmed the ball had risen from his wristband despite no evidence from the Hotspot.
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Chasing 317 for a win at the MCG, Pakistan were 219-5 with Rizwan batting on 35 off 61 deliveries on day four. They needed 98 more for a win after Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha stitched together 59 runs for the partnership.
Rizwan was dismissed on the fourth ball of the 61st over by Pat Cummins as he tried to evade a short ball. The ball hit him on his lower right arm on the way to the wicketkeeper Alex Carey. The on-field umpire Michael Gough did not rule Rizwan out, but the Australians referred it to the TV umpire Richard Illingworth.
With the on-field decision being not out, Illingworth needed conclusive evidence to overturn the decision. The ball left no mark on HotSpot, but the third umpire felt there was a distinct spike when it passed over to Carey when Rizwan dropped his wrists to get out of the way.
It was enough for the umpire to rule him out, much to the displeasure of Rizwan, who had suggested the ball had hit his forearm instead of the wristband.
It was Cummins’ 250th Test wicket, who achieving the feat in his 57th game. He became the first Australian captain to take a five-wicket haul in each innings, and was named the Player of the Match after Australia won by 79 runs.
Watch Rizwan’s wicket in AUS vs PAK here:
Wicket 250 for Pat Cummins! 🎉
The third umpire decided the ball flicked Mohammad Rizwan's sweatband on the way through. #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance | #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/vTuDL5DmNB
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 29, 2023