Mushfiqur Rahim becomes 1st Bangladesh batter to be dismissed obstructing the field
Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladesh batter to be dismissed obstructing the field during day one of the second Bangladesh vs New Zealand Test match in Mirpur on December 6.
In the 41st over of Bangladesh’s first innings, Mushfiqur faced a delivery from Kyle Jamieson, defending it under his eyes. However, as he realized the ball might hit the stumps after bouncing near the crease, he instinctively pushed it away with his left glove.
The New Zealand fielders promptly appealed for an obstructing field dismissal. The on-field umpires conferred and then referred the decision to the TV umpire for a review. After careful examination, the TV umpire deemed that Mushfiqur had intentionally handled the ball, resulting in an obstructing the field dismissal. This marked a historic moment, as Mushfiqur became the first Bangladeshi batter to be out obstructing the field in international cricket across formats. In Test cricket, only Len Hutton had faced such a dismissal previously.
WATCH: Mushfiqur Rahim given out by obstructing the field
Mushfiqur’s departure, falling for 35, was the fifth wicket to fall in the Bangladesh innings, leaving the hosts struggling at 104-5.
It’s noteworthy that Mushfiqur had attempted a similar move earlier in the innings, trying to push away a ball from hitting the stumps. However, he didn’t make contact with the ball on that occasion.
Had this incident occurred before 2017 when the mode of dismissal was included in Law 37 (obstructing the field), Mushfiqur would have been ruled out for handling the ball.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh faced early setbacks as none of their top four batters managed to cross 15 runs. By lunchtime, they were reduced to 80-4. Mushfiqur provided a semblance of control to the Bangladesh innings before his dismissal. The team was eventually bowled out for 172, with New Zealand’s spinners—Glenn Phillips (3-31), Mitchell Santner (3-65), and Ajaz Patel (2-54)—sharing eight wickets.
Thank you for reading.
