Was Rohit Sharma erroneously given out LBW? Ball tracking showed ball missing leg stump!
Rohit Sharma produced another excellent display of restraint on this England tour, staving off more than 100 balls for the fourth time in the series – no Indian had done it more than twice when he completed the feat – to help India gain some foothold in the match. Just when it seemed like Rohit was on his way to a fine Test hundred, an Ollie Robinson in-decker signalled an end to his innings.
Rohit missed a fairly straight delivery from Robinson to be trapped in front. Umpire Richard Kettleborough instantly raised his finger to send the opener on his way. However, Rohit reviewed the decision, more in hope than anything else as it seemed plumb to the naked eye.
The replays, though, showed something peculiar.
The ball was just about missing leg-stump according to the ball tracking shown on broadcast, but the ball hitting the wickets came as umpire’s call on graphic, sending Rohit on his way much to the dismay of Indian fans.
Care to explain how is this an umpire’s call? #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/dkdAYlPs5s
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) August 27, 2021
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Was Rohit Sharma actually out?
This is what ICC has under the playing conditions for the World Test Championship,
3.4.6 WICKET
3.4.6.1 The interpretation of whether “the ball would have hit the wicket” in clause 36.1.5 shall refer to
position of the ball as it either hits or passes the wicket, in relation to the Wicket Zone.
3.4.6.2 The Wicket Zone is defined as a two dimensional area whose boundaries are the outside of the
outer stumps, the base of the stumps and the top of the stumps.
3.4.6.3 The ball-tracking technology shall report whether the ball would have hit the wicket with reference
to the following three categories:
Hitting: The ball was hitting the wicket, and the centre of the ball was inside the
Wicket Zone
Umpire’s Call: The ball was hitting the wicket, but the centre of the ball was not inside
the Wicket Zone
Missing: The ball was missing the wicket
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Read: Pant asked to take off tape on gloves
WATCH THE DISMISSAL (notice ball tracking)
HUGE blow for
Umpire’s call by the barest of margins forces him to head back for 59
Tune into #SonyLIV now
https://t.co/E4Ntw2hJX5
#ENGvsINDonSonyLIV #ENGvIND #RohitSharma #Wicket pic.twitter.com/csiRy1MYfB
— SonyLIV (@SonyLIV) August 27, 2021
According to visuals, the ball wasn’t hitting the stumps for the Rohit dismissal. That said, the visuals seen on broadcast isn’t 100% fool proof. The technology is still developing and the trajectory of the ball shown is just one of the several paths the ball can take after pitching. It is one of many paths the ball could take. With the on-field umpire’s decision being out, the ball just clipping the stumps would do to uphold the decision. It is debatable, though, why the on-screen visuals showed the ball missing leg-stump (when there are other trajectories the ball could take) but then showed umpire’s call for ball clipping the stumps.