Dead ball confusion explained: Why India was awarded 3 runs even after Kohli was bowled?

With three balls remaining and India still needing 13 runs to win, Mohammad Nawaz, the Pakistani left-arm spinner bowled a full toss which was called a no-ball and was dispatched for a six by Virat Kohli.

The equation now was six to win off three balls still (because the previous ball was a no-ball) and the next delivery would be a free hit.

Nawaz bowled and Kolhi swung having nothing to lose as he could not be dismissed on this delivery. He missed however and the ball ricocheted off the stumps towards the third-man fielder. Kolhi and Dinesh Kartik scampered three by the time the ball was fielded.

Also Read | Chase Master Virat Kohli scripts history against archrivals Pakistan, creates unique record

The Pakistan players as well as the commentators seemed confused with what had just happened. Babar Azam walked up to the umpires and seemed to enquire why the ball was not declared a dead ball after Kohli had been bowled. The question on quite a few people's minds was if the runs were valid. If a ball is declared 'dead', no activity after that till the resumption of play again is valid.

According to the rules of the game, a ball can be declared 'dead' after 'it is finally settled in the hands of the wicketkeeper or of the bowler", or when “a boundary is scored."

The rule (20.1.1 in the MCC law) also states that a ball can also be called a dead ball when “a batter is dismissed. The ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal."

In other words, the ball continued to be in play after hitting Kolhi's stumps and that this why the three runs that the Indian batters ran as byes, stood valid as the ball was only 'dead' when the ball finally settled in the hands of the wicketkeeper.

The byes were awarded to India bringing the equation down to two runs to win off the last two balls. You know what happened after next!