Rishabh Pant asked to change tape on gloves by on-field umpires shortly after Dawid Malan dismissal
Rishabh Pant was asked to take off the taping between the fourth and fifth finger of his glove on day two shortly after the tea break when the last ball before tea was the dismissal of Dawid Malan, caught down the leg side by Pant off Mohammed Siraj after a successful review.
The MCC laws do not permit wicketkeepers to tape together the fourth and fifth fingers on the glove.
LAW 27.2 Gloves
27.2.1 If, as permitted under 27.1, the wicket-keeper wears gloves, they shall have no webbing between the fingers except joining index finger and thumb, where webbing may be inserted as a means of support.
27.2.2 If used, the webbing shall be a single piece of non-stretch material which, although it may have facing material attached, shall have no reinforcements or tucks.
27.2.3 The top edge of the webbing shall not protrude beyond the straight line joining the top of the index finger to the top of the thumb and shall be taut when a hand wearing the glove has the thumb fully extended.
Pant clearly had his gloves taped on when taking the Malan catch as videos and screenshots confirm. There is nothing in the law that can reverse the decision, though.
Watch the Malan dismissal (eyes on Pant’s gloves)
Even the Indians could not believe that
A hopeful review brings
their 3rd wicket on the last ball before
Tune into #SonyLIV now
https://t.co/E4Ntw2hJX5
#ENGvsINDonSonyLIV #ENGvIND #DawidMalan #Wicket pic.twitter.com/cJUFvS9Top
— SonyLIV (@SonyLIV) August 26, 2021
@guerillacricket
Interesting tape was removed from Pant’s gloves
27.2 Gloves
27.2.1 If,as permitted under 27.1,the wicket-keeper wears gloves,they shall have no webbing between the fingers except joining index finger and thumb,where webbing may be inserted as a means of support.— Farong (@thundhaa) August 26, 2021
Hope we get a load of slow motion shots of the tape being ripped off Pant’s gloves now after spike gate.
— Dr Matt Swift (@MSwift94) August 26, 2021
A few other tweets on social media suggest that Pant has been wearing the tape since the Lord’s Test.
Rishabh Pant has been wearing that tape on his gloves, that he removed after the Malan dismissal, since the second test at Lord’s. #ENGvIND
— Thomas Roper (@tomroper87) August 26, 2021
#BBCCricket So Pant has had to remove the tape on his wicket keeping gloves as it’s not allowed….Tape that was on his gloves all day and was used to dismiss Mallan…..So Mallan should be re-instated?
Caspar, Loving this brilliant come back from England in Kenilworth— Caspar Battam (@CasparJB) August 26, 2021
Wait for it! Indians will be coming up with explanations on how Pant’s tape on his gloves isn’t cheating.
#engvsindia #engvind
— Plank (@imtheplank) August 26, 2021
Whatever the reactions, Malan’s dismissal stood and England ended the day with a whopping lead of 345 runs. It is unlikely that Malan being called back (although there’s nothing in the laws to suggest that is an option) would have changed the narrative of this Test match that seems to be heading in just one direction.