Had Pant been given not out, India might have won the match, as he was the only player who kept the team in contention.
Following the defeat in the third Test, India’s captain Rohit Sharma expressed his disbelief and concern during the press conference about Rishabh Pant’s controversial dismissal that led to India loss.
Rishabh Pant was given out after New Zealand opted for a review, despite the Indian wicketkeeper insisting to the umpires that he did not make contact with the ball. However, the third umpire chose to overturn the original not out call. Following Pant’s dismissal, India crumbled and were bowled out for 121, and lost the match by 25 runs.
At the press conference, Rohit talked about Rishabh Pant’s wicket. He said that if there wasn’t clear proof that Pant touched the ball, then the call should have been in Pant’s favor. Rohit mentioned that the umpires need to think about their decision and that everyone should follow the same rules instead of changing their minds all the time.
“About that dismissal, I honestly, I don’t know. If we say something, it is not accepted well. But if there is no conclusive evidence, it has to go, it has to stand with the umpire’s on-field decision. That is what I have been told. So, I don’t know how that decision was overturned since the umpire didn’t give him out,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference.
“You know, the bat was clearly close to the pad. So, again, I don’t know if it is the right thing for me to talk about. It is something for the umpires to think about. Have the same rules for every team, not keep changing their mind. But again, that dismissal actually was very, very crucial from our point of view. Rishabh was really looking good at that point and it felt like he will take us through. But it was an unfortunate dismissal, got out and then we were bowled out right after that, ” he added.
Had Pant been given not out, India might have won the match, as he was the only player who kept the team in contention.
After their defeat in the third Test, India lost the series 3-0, marking the first time they have ever been whitewashed at home in a Test series consisting of three or more matches. This series ranks among India’s worst Test performances on home soil.
Moreover, this defeat has diminished India’s chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. To secure a spot in the final, they must win four out of five Test matches in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on November 22.
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