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Watch: Pujara top-edges paddle sweep to short fine leg, Rohit Sharma kicks turf in reaction

Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed playing a paddle sweep and Rohit Sharma was not impressed
by Wisden Staff 1 minute read

Watch: Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed playing a paddle sweep to Todd Murphy in India’s first innings in Nagpur, with captain Rohit Sharma expressing frustration at his partner’s shot selection.

The dismissal occurred on the first ball of the 45th over. India had batted themselves to a comfortable position after bowling Australia out for 177 on day one. They had 135 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets.

Pujara began in positive fashion, getting off the mark off the first ball he faced and cutting Murphy for a boundary in that same over. But Pujara later paid the price for trying something out of the ordinary.

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Murphy bowled the ball on a length down the leg side. Pujara sensed a run-scoring opportunity and looked to paddle it away to the behind square boundary. Unfortunately for him, the ball bounced just enough to take the top edge and loop towards Scott Boland at short fine leg.

Rohit, who was at the other end, was not particularly pleased with Pujara’s stroke – especially considering the position India were in – and he was seen kicking the turf in frustration.

Pujara’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, with Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav departing in quick succession after the lunch interval. Rohit, though, continued to pile on the runs, registering a sumptuous hundred off 171 balls.

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Watch Pujara’s dismissal here:

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