Ravichandran Ashwin refrained from doing what he would instinctively do in the past: ‘Mankad’ the batsman after he had backed up too far at the non-striker's end.
Instead, on Monday, in the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Dubai, all that the off-spinner did was smile wryly after catching Royal Challengers opener Aaron Finch short of the crease.
The bowler, however, warned the Australian.
In the dugout, Delhi capitals coach Ricky Ponting, who found himself at odds with Ashwin on the contentious issue of ‘Mankading’ in the run-up to the tournament, also smiled.
The incident occurred in the third over of Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings, when Finch stepped way out of his crease, but the seasoned off-spinner refrained from ‘Mankading’.
Before the start of the 13th IPL, Ponting had said that he had told Ashwin that he would not like him to Mankad a non-striker in the tournament.
The Delhi Capitals coach, a legend of the game and a staunch critic of the practice named after former India all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, had backed the senior India off-spinner when he asked if the batsman should also be penalised for leaving his crease at the non-striker's end before the ball is delivered.