Mohali:
Shikhar Dhawan had set the stage on fire in the Mohali ODI against Australia when he blasted his 16th century. It was a magnificent return to form for Dhawan at a venue where he gained international acclaim when he slammed 187 on test debut against the same opponents in 2013. However, Peter Handscomb's maiden century, combined with Usman Khawaja's 91 and a partnership of 192 put Australia on course for a win. However, it was Ashton Turner's brilliant 84 off 43 balls that helped Australia chase down 359, the highest total successfully chased by a visiting team in ODIs in India as the five-match series was level 2-2.
Dhawan was the Indian player who came for the press conference and he looked pretty downcast, praising the knock of Turner and lamenting that the vast amount of dew on the field resulted in India's bowlers not able to bowl the proper line and lengths. However, in the middle of the press conference, there was an incident which shocked all the journalists that were present and it also ruffled Dhawan slightly. Suddenly, there was a crackling sound which emerged out of one of the studio lights which were positioned near the speakers. Immediately after the crackling sound, the lights caught fire and the paper which was positioned ahead of the lights started to burn away.
There was some bit of chaos as the Punjab Cricket Association officials decided to switch off the studio lights. After a couple of minutes, calmness returned and Dhawan returned to answering questions from the media. One of the technicians then decided to turn on one of the other studio light and it flashed straight in Dhawan's face. Irritated, Dhawan shouted, “Arey, koi yeh light bandh kar sakta hai (Can someone please switch off this light?”
The press conference ended with Dhawan lamenting the conditions which resulted in India's loss. However, some journalists said that apart from the quotes, this was a major story.
The Mohali ODI was indeed a cracking contest, with over 700 runs scored in the match. Australia's love for 359 was reaffirmed against India, winning the 2003 World Cup, 2004 VB Series against India on the same score. The final match will be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi and a loss for either team could hurt their confidence in a big way.
