Test cricket can offer the sublime and the ridiculous to the same batsman on the same day, and South African David Bedingham experienced both emotions when the Proteas batted in the first innings. What was pleasantly surprising was how the Aussies urged him to not panic and carry on, after an Alex Carey potential incident.
The 31-year-old, only 12 Tests old, topscored with 45 off a 111-ball vigil in a low scoring first innings total of 138. And he almost “panicked” at one point, afraid of another controversy erupting at the World Test Championship final.
A forward prod by him off Beau Webster delivery got lodged in the pad flap and ever-so-attentive , was threatening to spin around and catch it as it fell. That’s when Bedingham, a novice really internationally, shuffled and pushed it away, but immediately panicked wondering if the Aussies would appeal. Umpires Illingworth and Gaffeney however termed the ball dead, and Cricinfo later reported that Cummins said he had no intentions of furthering the appeal.
Plenty went through Bedingham’s mind about if his reflex would cascade into yet another controversy and revive the painful spirit-of-cricket debates, especially with Carey in the frame.
Cricinfo quoted him as saying, “Yeah I think I panicked big time. Because Carry was standing up he was quite close. The umpires said, regardless it was dead ball. But I think the way I picked up the ball and dropped it came across a bit dodgy,” he said, at close of play as per CI.
Just how wary international cricketers are of every event reducing to a debate was evident, when he said, “I’m glad they withdrew the appeal because there would be more controversy and stuff,” as per Cricinfo. It’s here that the Aussie slip cordon reassured him and told him to carry on. “The slip cordon told me ‘dont panic, just leave it’” Cricinfo quoted him.
He would proceed to hit 6 boundaries, and one that froze time and Test cricket – the signature cover drive, off Green once and then Webster.
In a social media post of ICC titled, ‘The art of the cover drive’, that commentators described as ‘another glorious shot’, Bedingham described the shot and what goes through his mind.
“Bowlers running into bowl. Obviously quite nervous. He jumps up. Stuff goes through your brain obviously. Hopefully quite quickly,” Bedingham says of the micro moments of doubt. “He releases the ball. You see the ball’s full. Trigger onto hopefully off-stump. Take a little step forward. Hopefully your weight’s going forward and smack it. You can almost feel it off the bat. It like pings off straight out the middle.”
“There’s nothing better than a nice cover drive,” Bedingham said.
