IND Vs WI, 2nd Test: Tevin Imlach's Football Instinct Averts Dismissal - What Laws Say About Kicking Ball

As India continued to hunt wickets on Day 2 of the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi, a moment of footballing instinct helped Tevin Imlach save himself.

Imlach got an under-edge off Ravindra Jadeja's fifth delivery in the 36th over, but the ball bounced back towards the off-stump. An alert Imlach kicked the ball away, an act more familiar to footballers than cricketers, and averted a dismissal.

Cricket has seen its share of balls trickling back toward the stumps, often ending in heartbreak. The 28-year-old right-hander could have instinctively used his hands to stop the ball from rolling back toward the stumps, and that would have cost him his wicket under the "handled the ball" rule.

Australia captain Steve Waugh used his hand to stop the ball from rolling into the stumps during a Test against India in Chennai on March 18, 2001. He was declared out "handled the ball" -- a mode of dismissal that has since been added to the broader "obstructing the field" category, updated in 2017.

Interestingly, in 2001, England's Michael Vaughan also got out under the same mode against India during the third Test in Bengaluru on December 19.

At least 10 such dismissals have been recorded in international cricket, dating back to 1957, with the most recent (last) being Chamu Chibhabha of Zimbabwe during an ODI match against Afghanistan on October 20, 2015.

Well, what about kicking the ball? Can a batter kick the ball in cricket? Why was Tevin Imlach not given out?

In Tevin Imlach's case, using his foot to deflect the ball away from the stumps was within the rules. And most importantly, it wasn't done to obstruct a fielder or interfere with play beyond protecting his wicket.

In cricket, a batter is allowed to use their body or even equipment (read: bat), except their hands, to prevent the ball from hitting the stumps, as long as it's done without intent to obstruct the field.

- Kicking the ball is legal if the batter is trying to protect their wicket from a ball that is rolling back toward the stumps after being played. This is considered part of the natural defence.

- Handling the ball with the hand not holding the bat is illegal unless done with the consent of the fielding side. This is governed by Law 37 of the MCC Laws of Cricket, which covers "Obstructing the field" and previously included "Handled the ball" as a separate mode of dismissal.

Yusuf Pathan was given out for kicking the ball (obstructing the field) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013 match. The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder kicked the ball away from Pune Warriors India's bowler Wayne Parnell's reach and completed a single.

Earlier, during the 6th India vs Sri Lanka ODI match in 1989, Mohinder Amarnath was given out for kicking the ball away to avoid being run out.

India Vs West Indies 2nd Test, Day 2 Stumps

At the close of play on the second day, Imlach was unbeaten on 14 off 31 balls, and giving company to Shai Hope (31 not out off 46) as the West Indies reached 140/4 (43). The wicketkeeper-batter arrived in the middle when the Windies were 107/4.

The Windies' innings also witnessed a bizarre John Campbell dismissal, with Sai Sudharsan taking a catch that looked straight out of a highlight reel. Stationed at forward short leg, right next to the batter with his helmet on, Sudharsan reacted in a flash to snatch a ball hammered clean.

What should have been a routine slog sweep turned into one of the most jaw-dropping dismissals in recent memory, leaving fans and players alike in sheer disbelief. The catch came at a price, however, as Sudharsan immediately left the field to get his knuckles iced following the brutal impact.

Batting first, India had declared their first innings at 518/5. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 175 before getting run out following a mix-up with skipper Shubman Gill, who himself scored an unbeaten 129.

Sudharsan (87) missed out on a maiden Test century.