Substitute Runners

‘I never played with a runner in my entire life because only I know where the ball is going ,’ says Tendulkar

Towards the end of the Mohali Test against Australia, when there were just under 10 runs left for India to win (or lose), one saw the usually calm and collected VVS Laxman jump up and down in anger. Suresh Raina, his runner, had set off, but Pragyan Ojha, the non-striker, had stayed put. Laxman gesticulated with thick-gloved fingers and cursed Ojha. But you really couldn’t blame Ojha. When there’s a runner, the non-striker has two minds to match. Complicating it is the fact that the runner can only see and not feel where the ball is going. Only the batsman knows.  

Consider this quote by Sachin Tendulkar on his website: ‘I never played with a runner in my entire life, even in school, because only I know where the ball is going and how hard, when I hit the ball, something my runner will never know about.’

Writing in Cricinfo, former Test player Aakash Chopra says, ‘The rule here is that it’s always the striker’s call and the substitute must not assume anything but only react to the call and respond appropriately. Problems happen when the substitute starts calling from square leg and the non-striker doesn’t know where to look.’

The rules for having a runner are simple: The batsman must be injured, unable to run and the umpires must be convinced of it. The runner has to be in the playing XI, and, unless there is no one available, must have already batted. 

The job is pretty much thankless. The ‘best substitute runner in the world’ is not an accolade any cricketer aspires to. He never gets any bouquets, and when he goofs up, the brickbats come flying fast. In the 17 February 2008 ODI against Australia in Adelaide, Dhoni asked for a runner after getting leg cramps. Having driven to the covers, he gave the call and Rohit Sharma, the runner, dived his way in, but it was too late. A direct hit saw Dhoni getting out. Post-match, he blamed Sharma. “Even with the cramps, I could have run and made it easily,” he said testily.

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