Officiating the ENG vs IND 5th Test at The Oval, Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena came under the radar on Day 1 after he was seemingly spotted signalling with his hand that helped the hosts not waste a review.
What had happened was Josh Tongue struck Sai Sudharsan on the pads which led to an appeal from the England cricketers. However, Dharmasena turned it down but at the time he was shaking his head, he was caught signalling with his fingers that there was an inside edge which stopped England from challenging the decision and opting for a DRS. Soon, replays also confirmed Dharmasena’s hunch that the ball hit the bat and subsequently England’s decision to not opt for a review proved right.
The signal from the on-field umpire stirred quite a debate amongst fans and pundits regarding if umpires are allowed to give such signals to players before taking a review.
While there is no rule specifying that umpires can’t convey the reason beind their decision, with DRS available it makes such calls tricky.
According to Article 32.2.3 of the ICC’s Test match Playing Conditions says: “Either the captain or the two batters may, in respect of a decision relating to an appeal for LBW, question the bowler’s end umpire as to whether his/her decision has been made on the basis that the striker made no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat.
“Under no other circumstance is any player permitted to query an umpire about any aspect of a decision before deciding on whether or not to request a Player Review. If the on-field umpires believe that the captain or either batter has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion decline the request for a Player Review.”
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Speaking about the final game of the five-match series, the Indian team have a task cut out to eke out a win in a bid to salvage a series draw and avoid defeat. Currently the hosts have a 2-1 lead after wins and Leeds and Lord’s while India won the second Test at Edgbaston. The fourth Test at Manchester ended in a draw.
In the ENG vs IND 5th Test so far, the Indian team have lost more than half their side after being put to bat first and have four wickets reaminig having barely crossed the 150-run mark. The visitors will need to find a big partnership to make amends and put up a formidable total to put pressure on England. Currently, Karun Nair and Washington Sundar are batting in the middle.
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