Mohammad Rizwan sparked a bit of controversy and drama right at the very end of Day 3's play in PAK vs SA 2nd Test 2025 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, October 22. Facing Keshav Maharaj in the last over of Day 3, Mohammad Rizwan struck the ball towards the cover region and did not attempt a run as it was fielded. But what happened next turned out to be a bit surprising. After playing the delivery, which did not yield any runs, Mohammad Rizwan turned around and hit the stumps with his bat, taking out the bails. South Africa wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne instantly went up in appeal as the ball wasn't thrown back to him after it was fielded, meaning it wasn't a dead ball yet. 38-Year-Old Asif Afridi Becomes Oldest Player to Take Five-Wicket Haul on Test Debut, Achieves Feat During PAK vs SA 2nd Test 2025.

Mohammad Rizwan Knocks Down Bails With His Bat

But the umpires did not take much interest in the hit wicket appeal against Mohammad Rizwan, who walked off with Babar Azam after a 34-run partnership. Yes, Mohammad Rizwan was aware of the ball being the last one of Day 3, but as a batter, he may not have been right in doing so, especially since the ball wasn't a dead ball yet, as it was not thrown back at the wicketkeeper. Plus, generally, the umpires signal the end of the day in a Test match by knocking down the bails. Also, as per ESPNCricinfo, interestingly enough, this happened even before the umpire had signalled stumps, calling for an end to the day's play. However, why was he not out?

Was Mohammad Rizwan Out Hit Wicket? What the Law Says

In short, Mohammad Rizwan was not out hit wicket and the umpires were right to stick to their decision in not entertaining the appeal seriously. Many would know that a batter is out hit wicket when he or she breaks his stumps and dislodges the bails. But there are some exceptions to this rule, which helped Mohammad Rizwan survive the hit-wicket dismissal. MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) states the situations under which a batter can be given out hit wicket. MCC's Law 35.1 talks about a batter being out hit wicket and it states that the dismissal can be legitimate when a batter knocks down the stumps after the bowler has entered the delivery stride. It also states that a batter will be out hit wicket if he knocks down the bails with his bat or any part of his body while playing the delivery or immediately setting off a run. Fan Spotted Wearing Virat Kohli Jersey in Rawalpindi While Attending PAK vs SA 2nd Test 2025, Pic Goes Viral.

As per MCC's official website, Law 35.2 states situations under which a batter cannot be given out hit wicket. The following has been taken directly from MCC's website.

#it occurs after the striker has completed any action in receiving the delivery,

# it occurs when the striker is in the act of running, other than setting off immediately for the first run.

# it occurs when the striker is trying to avoid being run out or stumped.

# it occurs when the striker is trying to avoid a throw in at any time.

#the bowler after entering the delivery stride does not deliver the ball. In this case either umpire shall immediately call and signal Dead ball.

# the ball is a No Ball

Mohammad Rizwan's case ticks the boxes mentioned above, at least the first two, as the last four are not applicable in this example because he did not run, nor was he avoiding a throw or trying to escape from being stumped. Also, it was a legitimate delivery and not a No Ball or a Dead Ball. The Pakistan cricketer had knocked down the bails after playing the delivery and was not in the process of taking a run. As a matter of fact, Mohammad Rizwan could have been in trouble if he had knocked out the bails with his bat while immediately attempting to take a run, but in this case, there was no intention of running at all. In this case, he broke the stumps willingly while intending to leave the crease, as it was the end of the day's play in PAK vs SA 2nd Test 2025.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2025 08:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).