Despite the fact that cricket is a serious and competitive sport, occasionally hilarious things do happen on the pitch. There have been times when two fielders have clashed while chasing the ball for a catch, eventually dropping it. There has also been some hilarious runouts and funny stumpings by the wicketkeeper.

A similar comical episode recently went viral on social media as Martin Hughes, from the Southend Civic Cricket Club, entered the field during a local cricket match without his pads and then raced back to the dugout after realising it, while the opposition players and the umpire had a round of laughter.

The Twitter users hilariously reacted to this incident. While one said, “I’ve had to bat up the order at least once because of a teammate doing this.”, another said, “I remember once I must have been 11/12, number 3 walks out, he realizes he’s only got one glove says screw it I’ll carry on. Knocked over first ball.”

I've had to bat up the order at least once because of a teammate doing this

— Jameson Tucker (@jwdtucker) July 20, 2022

I remember once I must have been 11/12, number 3 walks out, he realises he’s only got one glove says screw it I’ll carry on. Knocked over first ball 😭

— Hector Cunha Mian (@mr_humz) July 20, 2022

The scorecard in the video reads at 29/3 in 4.3 overs. Matt Mohan, the bowler in charge for the fifth over, by then had scalped two wickets in the first three deliveries of that over before Hughes walked in to bat. Thus, noticing the same, another user commented: “Not his fault.. 2 wickets in 3 deliveries. No one can be prepared for this!!”

not his fault.. 2 wickets in 3 deliveries.

No one can be prepared for this!!

— Fakhar Ul Islam (@Fakhar_Ul_Islam) July 20, 2022

Another Twitter user hilariously trolled the batter and said: “If I was the bowler, I would have been livid if anyone had mentioned it to him. I know where the first ball would be going….” The comment section of the tweet was filled with people joking and having fun at the expense of the batter, whereas there were also a few who remembered their days of playing cricket and the similar blunders they made.

If I was the bowler, I would have been livid if anyone had mentioned it to him. I know where the first ball would be going….

— Paul Jude (@pauljude9) July 20, 2022

Team India stylish batter KL Rahul was recently seen facing India’s veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami in the nets. To note, Rahul is currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Bengaluru after his successful surgery for a sports hernia in Germany. The right-handed batter is expected to join Team India in West Indies to participate in the upcoming T20I series.

Previously, Rahul was named India’s captain to lead the Men in Blue in a T20I series against South Africa, but he was unable to participate in the series due to a groin injury. Rahul was also named for the England tour but had to remain out of the action due to his surgery.

KL Rahul played two excellent strokes

In a video doing rounds on social media, Rahul can be seen facing veteran Goswami in the nets. As Jhulan bowled a fullish delivery on an off-stump, the Indian batter can be seen playing a perfect cover drive followed by an excellent cut shot from the back foot on the off side.

K L Rahul is batting and Jhulan Goswami is bowling.

📍NCA, Bangalore@klrahul • @cool_rahulfan pic.twitter.com/xkuvvPZsHP

— Juman Sarma (@Juman_gunda) July 18, 2022

As mentioned above, Rahul has not been in action for quite a long time. The right-handed batter was last seen during the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), where he led the new entrants Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs. Rahul played some excellent knocks for his new franchise and ensured that LSG finished strongly in their first appearance in IPL.

The right-handed batter is expected to represent the Men in Blue in the upcoming T20I series against West Indies, but his inclusion in the playing XI is subject to fitness. A total of five matches will be played in the series with the first match starting on July 29 (Friday).

Talking about Goswami, the veteran pacer represented India during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. She was not named in the Women in the Blue squad for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games as Goswami announced retirement from the shortest format around four years ago.

Yasir Shah might not be a regular face in the Pakistan team but has made the most of his opportunities whenever he has been picked in the playing XI. The leggie is also the joint second-fastest bowler to complete 100 Test wickets in just 17 matches. Meanwhile, Shah bowled a dream delivery to castle Sri Lankan batter, Kusal Mendis, on the third day of the ongoing first Test in Galle.

The manner in which Yasir dismissed Mendis was reminiscent of the late Australian spin legend Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’ to dismiss the legendary English batter Mike Gatting during the 1993 Ashes series. It was indeed a vital breakthrough for Pakistan as Kusal Mendis was threatening to take the match away from the visitors with the Lankan lead having surpassed 300.

Yasir Shah bamboozled Kusal Mendis with a stunning delivery

Kusal Mendis, who was batting on 76, was completely undone by a delivery that was bowled outside leg-stump which turned awkwardly after pitching and went on to hit the off stump. The delivery bowled by Shah was a sharp leg-spin just like Warne’s dream ball to get rid of Mike Gatting nearly three decades ago.

Watch the video here:

Beauty from Yasir Shah like Shane Warne's Ball to Gatting … pic.twitter.com/EKNgpZqZl6

— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoorze) July 18, 2022

Meanwhile, Yasir Shah finished the day with figures of 3/122 and apart from Kusal Mendis, he also accounted for the likes of opener Oshada Fernando and middle-order batter Dhananjaya de Silva. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka finished the day at 329/9 and have a mammoth lead of 333 runs.

They would now be hoping to add more to their tally when the play resumes on the fourth day. The visitors on the other hand just not need to wrap up the proceedings by picking up the last Sri Lankan wicket, but also need to ensure that they do not lose early wickets chasing a mammoth target on a wicket that is expected to deteriorate as the contest progresses.

Sri Lanka have a key spinner in the form of Prabath Jayasuriya and all eyes will be on skipper Babar Azam to play a decisive role for his team. The Pakistan captain scored 119 in the first innings.

India are up against England in the third and final ODI of the series at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday, 17th July. While Virat Kohli has struggled to add valuable contributions with his bat, the former Indian skipper was seen giving a few pieces of advice to Mohammed Siraj, who grabbed two massive wickets in his first over.

Mohammed Siraj was included in the playing XI after India’s bowling spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, missed the final ODI due to a back spasm and was not risked by the team management. Arshdeep Singh, who might have been the ideal replacement, is also recovering from an abdominal strain, thus leading to Siraj featuring in the match in Manchester.

England were off to a rollicking start after being put in to bat first by Rohit Sharma as the English opener Jason Roy hit Mohammed Shami for three boundaries in the first over. Siraj, who shares a close bond with former Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, received a few words of wisdom before his first over. The Indian pacer was bang on the money from the start, and after beating Jonny Bairstow’s bat with his second delivery, he dismissed the explosive batter with his third ball.

Kohli was once again seen talking to the young Indian pacer, and whatever he said seemed to work as Siraj squared up England’s batting bulwark Joe Root with a jaffa to dismiss him for a duck. Both Kohli and Siraj celebrated by pointing toward each other, which suggests they had planned the dismissal of the former English skipper.

. https://t.co/AfzhNBDJrL pic.twitter.com/lEwjKscSWl

— Arav Mishra (@The_hitwicket18) July 17, 2022

Mohammed Siraj enjoys playing under Virat Kohli

Notably, Siraj began his international career under Kohli and flourished under his leadership, especially since making his debut in red-ball cricket in 2020. The Indian pacer first played under Kohli’s reign for IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore, and his game has improved drastically since then. A regular on the Test side, the 28-year-old has struggled in white ball cricket off late, but his impressive outing against England might be a start of his revival in the shorter format of the game as well.

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has always been grabbing attention due to his ‘bomb-explosion’ celebration after dismissing batters. However, Ali’s recent video of him dancing on the cricket field has gone viral on social media platforms. It all transpired during the first fixture of the Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at Galle International Cricket Stadium on 16 July (Saturday).

In the video, the 28-year-old can be seen dancing in a cheerful manner while his teammate Haris Rauf is watching all the action with a grin on his face. Rauf was wearing the bib, being the 12th man, and was circling the boundary cushions.

Looking at the quirky moves, commentator Danny Morrison was also left amused and reckoned that Ali is trying to get a little loose ahead of his bowling spell. “Hassan Ali .. well this is all part of a routine to get a little bit loose, different these days, these guys, but nonetheless enjoying himself Hasan Ali,” Morrison said on-air.

Watch the video:

Hassan Ali dancing In Sri lanka While In the #testmatch#PAKvsSL @TheRealPCBMedia @TheRealPCB #Cricket pic.twitter.com/zEVzT7Kpls

— Saleem Abbas (@SaleemAbbas572) July 16, 2022

Sri Lanka gain control in morning session of Day 2

The hosts have managed to hold a strong grip over the Pakistan team in the ongoing fixture in Galle. In the morning session of Day 2, the Sri Lankan spinners dismissed the accomplished batters, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Rizwan. The latest victims to the skillful spinners ahead of the Lunch Break were Agha Salman and Mohammad Nawaz.

It will be interesting to see if skipper Babar Azam can steer the team well with the support of tail-enders. The in-form Prabath Jayasuriya, who recently registered the best bowling figures in Test debut for Sri Lanka, is certainly running down the Pakistani batters.

Earlier, Sri Lanka could manage to score only 222, with contributions from Dinesh Chandimal (76) and Oshada Fernando (35). For visitors, Shaheen Afridi scalped four wickets, while Ali and Yasir Shah finished with two each. At the stumps on Day 1, Pakistan were at 24/2, with the casualty of openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq.

During the ongoing second Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle, David Warner, while fielding, used the stump microphone to talk to an Australian journalist, asking him to sit down. Warner was heard saying that the batter was frustrated, and wanted the journalist to settle down after batters complained about a movement behind the sight-screen.

The incident occurred after the play was halted, and Warner in the field walked up to the stumps to talk to the broadcasting team to relay the instruction to the journalist named Geoff Lemon. The cameras immediately focused on Lemon, who was in the media box. Here is what Warner said during the match: “Broadcast, can you tell Geoff Lemon to sit down in the yellow? The batsman is frustrated, please.”

Watch Video:

Lemon hosts the popular podcast show, ‘The Final Word’, along with Adam Collins, and also wrote the award-winning book, ‘Steve Smith’s Men’, which is about the sandpaper-gate saga from Australia’s 2018 South Africa tour.

Sri Lanka on command after Day 3

Meanwhile, Australia batted first in the ongoing contest and put up 364 runs on board in the first innings. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith each scored centuries, and together added 134 runs for the third wicket. Labuschagne was dismissed for 104 and Smith was unbeaten on 145. Left-arm orthodox spinner Prabhath Jayasuriya finished with the figures of six wickets for 118 runs.

In Sri Lanka’s first innings, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne scored 86, and number three batter Kusal Mendis scored 85. Angelo Mathews, at number four, scored 52, and Kamindu Mendis contributed with 61 runs, coming in at number six. Dinesh Chandimal was the top scorer with an unbeaten 118. Sri Lanka, at the end of Day 3, extended the lead to 67 runs, with 431 runs on board for the loss of six wickets in 149 overs.

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked up two wickets for 47 runs in 19 overs. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon also bagged two wickets in 56 overs, conceding 160 runs. Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson ended with the best figures in the innings, with two wickets for 90 runs in 32 overs. Skipper Pat Cummins went wicketless in 24 overs.

After posting a formidable total of 198 runs in the first innings against England, India started off on a brilliant note as Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed the English skipper Jos Buttler in the very first over of the second innings. Buttler, who has been in great touch in limited-overs cricket, couldn’t trouble the scorers this time as India got a major breakthrough.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is certainly a captain’s go-to bowler in the powerplay overs, and the senior pro yet again opened the bowling for India. He is expected to deliver to his best ability, and get the crucial wickets in the powerplay and that is exactly what he did this time again. The pacer delivered a thundering inswinger and left the opposition skipper clueless on the field.

Kumar got the ball to swing brilliantly as Buttler looked entirely clueless and his stumps were disturbed. He obviously didn’t anticipate the ball to swing that much. The ball hit the stumps after brushing his pad as India got the first wicket and Buttler walked back to the pavilion without even opening his account.

Here’s the video:

An absolute peach from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. pic.twitter.com/OOq16tA4tl

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 7, 2022

Hardik Pandya gets his maiden T20I fifty

Earlier in the first innings, Indian batters got off to a good start as skipper Rohit Sharma took charge of the game from the word go. Though his efforts were just not enough, he added some quick runs onboard. Ishan Kishan failed to impress, but Deepak Hooda kept his form from the previous games alive as he went for the boundaries straightaway.

Suryakumar Yadav provided substantial support for him and played a quickfire knock. As Hooda perished, Hardik Pandya walked out to make his bat talk. There was a moment where the game slowed down in the middle, but Pandya managed to play a calm and composed innings as he bagged his maiden T20I half-century. He added the crucial runs and walked off as the top-scorer for his side.

Dinesh Karthik and Axar Patel contributed a little with the bat towards the end, but could not last for a longer period as the English bowlers restricted the batters from scoring big in the slog overs. Eventually, India posted a target of 199 runs.

The organizers of England’s T20 Blast have found a creative way to kick start a match, as the match ball for the first quarterfinal between Yorkshire and Surrey arrived at the ground with a remote-controlled car to get the match going. And what followed on the field was a last-ball thriller between the two teams as Yorkshire snatched the win by only 1 run.

David Willey’s Yorkshire batted first and scored 160 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. Number three batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore top-scored with 62 runs off 48 balls, and in the backend of the innings Will Fraine finished off with an unbeaten 32 runs off 14 balls. Fast bowler Gus Atkinson was the pick of the bowlers for Surrey, finishing with figures of two wickets for 28 runs in four overs.

An innovative way to bring the match ball in the Vitality Blast. pic.twitter.com/1w8pfCg22P

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 7, 2022

Jordan Thompson defends five runs of the last over

Surrey’s chase began shakily as they lost their skipper, Will Jacks, in the last ball of the first over for only 1 run. Opener Rory Burns scored 28 runs off 27 balls before being bowled by leg-spinner Shadab Khan in the ninth over. Shadab also scalped the wicket of Ollie Pope, at number four, for only 11 runs off 8 balls. Tom Curran, coming in at number three, scored 36 runs off 28 balls and was dismissed in the 13th over by Willey.

Laurie Evans came in at number five and stayed unbeaten on 35 runs off 26 balls, and his partnership of 67 runs with Jamie Overton brought Surrey close to a famous victory. With these two settled batters on the crease, they only needed five runs in the last over. The medium-fast bowler Jordan Thompson had the ball for the 20th over, and in the first three balls, the two batters scored one run each. 

In the fourth ball, Overton was run out, after scoring a well-made 40 runs off 21 balls. Sunil Narine, who came in next to bat with three runs still required, was out on the first ball that he faced. Atkinson faced the last ball and Surrey could only sneak one run off a leg-bye. Thompson held the nerve in the last over and guided Yorkshire to the semifinals.

The second quarterfinal of the T20 Blast is set to take place between Hampshire, led by James Vince, and Warwickshire, led by Carlos Brathwaite, on Thursday. Other teams in the knockout stage of the competition are Lancashire, Essex, Derbyshire and Somerset. The two semifinals and the final are scheduled to take place on July 16.

Rishabh Pant unleashed one of his best innings on July 1, Friday, against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, scoring a counter-attacking century and putting India in a commanding position on Day 1 of the rescheduled fifth Test match. The southpaw played shots all around the ground and spared none of the England bolwers, scoring 146 runs off just 111 balls.

Pant smashed 19 fours and four sixes which includes some audacious shots, including a reverse sweep over the slip cordon against ace pacer James Anderson. And one such valorous shot came when he was in the 90s, facing left-arm spinner Jack Leach in the 57th over. He hit a four straight down the ground despite losing the balance. As a result, Pant fell on the floor as he was completing the shot. He swung his bat so hard that he almost hit his feet.

pic.twitter.com/cGsZZHdXIb

— ParthJindalClub (@ClubJindal) July 1, 2022

Rishabh Pant will ensure you don’t stop watching Test cricket: Harsha Bhogle

Pant has been dismissed five times in the 90s in his short Test career, yet there was no sign of nervousness in the 24-year-old, as he raced towards a century off just 89 balls. This was the fastest century by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests and undoubtedly will remain as one of the best innings in Pant’s career. 

Commentator Harsha Bhogle said on air, “He will ensure you don’t stop watching Test cricket.” Meanwhile, Pant, along with Ravindra Jadeja, rescued the Indian innings after the visitors were found wanting at 98/5 in the 28th over. England pacers Anderson and Matthew Potts gave the Indian top order no respite, picking up the first five wickets between them, with none of the Indian batters scoring more than 20 runs. 

Then came the partnership of Pant and Jadeja, which added 222 runs for the sixth wicket, taking India past the 300-run mark. Although Pant’s innings overshadowed everything else on Day 1, Jadeja also played a splendid unbeaten knock of 83 off 163 balls, steadying the ship on the other end. India finished with a Day 1 total of 338 for the loss of seven wickets in 73 overs.

The second day of the first Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia ended with the visitors being in a commanding position. The Kangaroos have gained a vital lead of 101 runs and they still have two wickets in their bank. Skipper Pat Cummins is still unbeaten on his personal score of 26 runs and would like to extend his tally.

The Australian captain grabbed the limelight by hitting a huge six on Day 2 of the contest. Sri Lankan spinner Jeffrey Vandersay was bowling the 69th over of the innings and Pat Cummins took him to the cleaners with two clean maximums and a boundary, with the six off the final ball landing on the road outside the stadium.

Who’s going to find the ball Pat Cummins just hit out of Galle? 😆
Massive 😳😳😳😳
#SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/eiLQbblykn

— ༒𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝒉𝑜𝑎𝑖𝑏 ✭✰(𝑲𝒌𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 💜) (@drewmaccynt2) June 30, 2022

Team Australia in commanding position after Day 2

Despite winning the toss and batting first, the host Sri Lanka could not manage to grab the opportunity of putting early pressure on the visitors. The home side put up a disappointing batting performance with only wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella stroking an excellent fifty. The rest of the Sri Lankan batting line-up failed to score big runs despite getting good starts. As a result, the home team was bundled out for just 212 with veteran spinner Nathan Lyon grabbing a five-wicket haul.

Australia started well in their first innings with batter Usman Khawaja holding one end. The home team continued to take wickets at regular intervals, but the Australian batters kept their composure and played small but vital knocks. With skipper Cummins and Lyon at the crease, the visitors will at least look to extend their lead to 150+ runs.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka will look to wrap up Australia’s first innings as soon as possible and then they will have to bat exceptionally well to make a comeback in the game. Senior players like Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis will want to score big for the home side and ensure that their team responds strongly to Australia’s first innings total.