Ahmedabad: Suryakumar Yadav, who didn’t get a chance to bat in his first match for India four days ago, smashed a sensational match-winning 31-ball 57 that included 6 fours and 3 in the fourth T20 International against England.
In the end, India pulled off an 8-run win to level the five-game series at 2-2, but one of the talking points of the thrilling match was a questionable third-umpire decision that cut short Suryakumar’s brilliant knock.
An intended sweep off Sam Curran saw Dawid Malan taking a tumbling catch at deep fine-leg. The on-field umpire signalled ‘out’ but referred it to the third umpire to check if the fielder had taken the catch cleanly.
Despite seeing numerous replays on TV, the third umpire didn’t find ‘conclusive’ evidence to overturn the on-field umpire’s decision, though it did look from a particular angle that Malan didn’t have his fingers underneath the ball and it had touched the grass.
Former India players like Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer and VVS Laxman didn’t like it one bit, and made their feelings clear on Twitter. Even former England off-spinner felt it was not out.
Here are some of the reactions:
Third umpire while making that decision. #INDvENGt20 #suryakumar pic.twitter.com/JJp2NldcI8
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 18, 2021
Violets are blue, so is Sky
Dear @icc ‘soft signal’ why?
#IndvEng #suryakumar #NotOut pic.twitter.com/cCDYXjpMVt— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 18, 2021
How can this be out. When you are not sure whether the ball was taken cleanly after watching so many replays using top class technology and still go by the soft signal given by the on-field umpire. I think this rule needs to be revisited and changed. #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/b5XMdH8qEz
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 18, 2021
Personally, and do bear in mind that as a bowler I thought everything was out, I think that was a stinking decision.
— Graeme Swann (@Swannyg66) March 18, 2021
