The non-appeal
In the sixth over of the Sunrisers Hyderabad innings, Biplab Samantray dabbed one towards point, took two steps down the pitch and came back in. Ajinkya Rahane swooped in sharply, and casually flicked the ball onto the stumps. The ball hit the stumps, but Samantray was only steps down, and was expected to have made it back. However, you could see he had been a bit lazy and didn't quite slide the bat in. Except that Rahane was more worried about conceding the overthrow and went after the ball as opposed to appealing. The third umpire wasn't called to adjudicate, but the replays showed Samantray was comfortably out. He added 47 off 34 in his second life.
The first over
Rahul Dravid has relied on his spinners to squeeze in a cheap first over as the opposition batsmen watchfully get their feet in. In this game, though, Dravid had a bit of a problem. Both his spinners were in police custody for alleged spot fixing. Dravid pulled off another surprise, though, by asking Brad Hodge to bowl the first over. Yet again, Rajasthan Royals got away with another cheap first over as Hodge went for just three runs.
The interaction
Amit Mishra took slowing the game down to a whole new level. Shane Watson had just walked in, Royals had lost two quick wickets, and Watson was eager to face. Mishra stood at the top of the mark. Watson waited. Then he smiled at Mishra, suggesting he is ready. He smiled bemusedly again. Mishra reacted to the overtures with a smile of his own, suggesting, "It's coming, it's coming." No phone numbers were exchanged.
The interview
The commentators' interviews with a player on the field have ranged from the hilarious to the ridiculous, but this time they came close to costing a side a wicket. Darren Sammy had moved to slip, which Ramiz Raja didn't notice, and started asking a question even as the bowler ran in. To make it worse, the batsman edged it, thankfully for Ramiz and Sammy sufficiently wide of slip. Ramiz said something to the effect of, "Oops this came almost right at you." Sammy just chased after the ball.