Srinagar: In a bizarre turn of events during ongoing England vs Sri Lanka Third Test, pacer Chris Woakes was forced to bowl spin during mid over due to failing light at the Oval.
On day two, a mid-over light reading forced Chris Woakes to swap his seam deliveries for spin in a bizarre turn of events.
The incident took place after the run out of Dimuth Karunaratne, who was brilliantly dismissed by Olly Stone’s direct hit two balls into Woakes’ fourth over. With dark clouds looming, the umpires were forced to check the light levels, ultimately deciding that it was too dim for pace bowling.
This decision put England captain Ollie Pope in a tricky spot, as Woakes still had four balls left to complete his over.
According to the Laws of Cricket, a bowler must finish an over unless incapacitated or suspended, leaving Pope with limited options: either ask Woakes to leave the field or have him switch to spin.
In a hurried attempt to adapt, Woakes could be seen practising his off-breaks on the outfield before resuming his spell.
Pope, in turn, crowded the batter with close-in fielders, hoping Woakes could make something happen with the ball. Seeing Woakes bowling spin made everyone laugh and even batter Joe Root couldnt stop laughing.
However, the unexpected switch didn’t pay off as Woakes struggled to adjust, delivering two dragged-down deliveries and two wide outswingers, conceding six runs in the process.
Interestingly, another light reading was taken at the end of Woakes’ over, and the umpires, in a twist of irony, decided that conditions had improved enough to allow Gus Atkinson to bowl at full pace from the other end.