Pakistan opener, Imam-Ul-Haq on Tuesday suffered a bizarre dismissal during the post-lunch session on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. After being set a mighty target of 342 in the series opener, Pakistan openers Imam and Abdullah Shafique managed to add 68 runs without a loss at the end of the fourth morning. But Sri Lanka managed to get their first breakthrough, courtesy of a “lazy” Imam as Pakistan lost their first wicket in the sixth over after lunch.
It happened during the 29th over of Pakistan’s chase of 342 when spinner Ramesh Mendis was bowling to Imam. The batter was beaten by one that left him with bounce. Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella immediately managed to take the bails off and immediately appealed. None of the team members were certain of a stumping possibility and hence remained uninterested while Dickwella looked at the square-leg umpire and appealed again.
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The decision was soon sent to the third umpire and Rod Tucker looked at the possible stumping from all angles as he needed conclusive evidence. The square angle showed that the backfoot was in the air by just a few centimeters as Imam dragged it. Tucker looked at it frame by frame before agreeing to the appeal as the giant screen displayed ‘OUT’.
Here is the video of the stumping from Niroshan Dickwella:
— cric fun (@cric12222) July 19, 2022
➡️ Imam's back foot is on the ground
➡️ Keeper waits
➡️ Imam shifts his weight to the front foot
➡️ Keeper affects stumping with shoe perhaps marginally off the groundFair mode of dismissal?#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/Q5Z1lljmfy
— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) July 19, 2022
After a solid start, Imam Ul Haq lost his wicket because of his poor game awareness towards the proceedings. Imam plays flighted delivery inside the line & misses, Dickwella brokes the bails, don't know why but Imam's back leg was moving! Oh his foot is in the air, gone! #PAKvsSL pic.twitter.com/KYdRVyOLR9
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) July 19, 2022
Was this out? 👀#SLvPAK #ImamulHaq pic.twitter.com/mHTTkAaO4I
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) July 19, 2022
Imam Ul Haq after being given out 🙈#PAKvsSL #PAKvSL #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/29R6ywd1h0
— Anmol Farya (@AnmolXK) July 19, 2022
Imam ul haq what a foolish way to throw your wiket. So casually walking back after defending the ball.🖐🏽🖐🏽 pic.twitter.com/J2ZfPyrxBJ
— Ali!!! (@Ali_Asim86) July 19, 2022
Shortly after Imam’s dismissal, Pakistan lost their second wicket as Azhar Ali was dismissed in the 40th over while Shafique went on to make his fifth Test fifty.
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Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal’s 94 off 139 and Kusal Mendis’ knock of 76 runs off 126 deliveries helped Sri Lanka amass a second-innings total of 337 after taking a slender four-run lead in the first innings.
