Fifteen years’ experience, 106 first-class games and 320 wickets could not get him a ball on the entire third day even as Railways, desperately, and successfully, kept gnawing at the Tamil Nadu line-up. Kulamani Parida, Railways’ premier offie, went without a ball and inquiries on why he didn’t bowl were understandable. There was no official comment, yet, by the time the Karnail Singh Stadium was cleared of cricketers, everyone had got to know that something was amiss.
That confusion was cleared by ‘unofficial news’ that the Railways management had been warned by the umpires and match referee, against bowling Parida as his action was deemed suspect.
The drama had apparently happened between the previous evening and Thursday morning, when, reportedly, the home management was summoned.
The referee refused to speak and so did the umpires while home captain Murali Kartik said, in his view, Parida’s action was clear.
What now? The recording of his action will be sent to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and a decision on his action will be taken in due course.