Opinion: To Mankad or Not? Two sides to a coin

Jos Buttler was set on 69 off 42 balls, hitting the ball sweetly to all parts of the ground, and that was when he was "Mankaded" by R. Ashwin. This incident has put the Indian Premier League in the spotlight, causing a stir on social media. Let's take a good look at both sides of the argument.

Ashwin was setting up to bowl to Sanju Samson and while he was getting into his delivery stride, he noticed Buttler was outside the crease and so decided to run him out. This act was definitely not in the spirit of the game, since Buttler was not attempting a cheeky single. Further, in such circumstances, as a bowler playing with a spirit of sportsmanship, you would give the batsman a warning.

Ashwin's actions could have been instinctive but then he could have withdrawn his appeal, as captains have in the past. His desire to win at all costs were on display, much to the annoyance of Jos Buttler and many watching the game.

The law states that the batsman has to be inside the crease when the bowler is expected to release the ball, and it looked like Buttler was in the crease at that moment. It is difficult to judge when the bowler is exactly going to release the ball, giving rise to a lot of controversy surrounding it. When Ashwin paused before his delivery, Buttler dragged his bat out, leaving him short of his crease as Ashwin clipped off the bails.

The act of 'Mankading' is frowned upon in cricket and with millions of youngsters watching, Ashwin should have been more careful, because this sort of dismissal is considered cheap. You would want a young bowler to focus on where he is going to pitch the ball, rather than try to sniff an opportunity to get the non-striker run out. A win is a win, but it's also important to play the game in the right spirit because, after all, cricket is a gentlemen's game.

Yes, Punjab have won two crucial points, but now their captain will be scrutinized and sledged by fans and oppositions throughout the IPL, something which could have a negative impact on his bowling and captaincy. They could have still won the game if he didn't commit this act; and even if they had lost, he would have avoided the negative publicity and managed to completely focus on winning the next game.

Now let's flip the coin: the law states "The bowler is permitted, before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing, to attempt to run-out the non-striker." Ashwin did not complete his delivery swing and did not release the ball, so he was within his right to dislodge the bails.

Yes, Buttler was not intentionally outside the crease, but it's his job as a batsman to ensure that his bat is behind the line, knowing very well that the bowler can run him out. It might have been a lapse of concentration, but when you're at the striker's end and you slip or accidentally drag your back foot out, the wicket keeper does not give you a warning but rather stumps you immediately.

Before the DRS came into play, batsmen used to stand their ground despite nicking a delivery, just because the umpire did not give them out. If they were playing the game with the right spirit, they would have walked. But they were desperate to stay out there and win the game for the team. Similarly, Ashwin might not have been playing in the spirit of the game, but he saw an opportunity to turn the game around and took it.

The stipulation for 'Mankading' is a grey area and that is why this continues to be an open debate, with people on both sides having valid opinions. Is it in the spirit of the game? No! Is it within the laws of the game? Yes! Many people have called it an act of cheating, but that's not the case; if it were, then the third umpire would not have declared it out. Yes, it can be said that it was a cheap and dire tactic to dismiss a set batsman. At the end of the day, as long as it is within the laws, such scenarios are bound to occur again.

The problem is that, if you ban 'Mankading', then the batsmen might back up too far and will gain an unfair advantage. So it's probably best to warn the batsman first and then dismiss him if he does it a second time. Although, it can be debated that in a T20, chances to oust the batsman are so few that the fielding team may not have the luxury of warning first and waiting for a second chance.

The debate will go on forever and everyone is entitled to their opinion but there is probably not one correct answer to this conundrum. Don't forget that this is not the first time these players have been involved in a "Mankading" incident, albeit on different occasions. And this may not be the last time as well.

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