WATCH: Replays show that the third umpire got Virat Kohli’s controversial LBW call wrong
Virat Kohli got a rough deal in the first innings of the second Test in Mumbai against New Zealand, being given out LBW in a controversial fashion by the third umpire.
The incident took place on final delivery of the 30th over in the Indian innings. Kiwi left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel got a ball to straighten into Kohli after pitching and went up in appeal for an LBW as the great batter pushed on the frontfoot with his bat and pad placed side-on.
On-field umpire Anil Chaudhary raised his finger, thinking the ball has hit the pad first before making contact with the bat. But this is where the drama began as the replays showed that the ball was instead hitting the inside edge before the front pad.
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Virat Kohli got out in a controversial manner at the Wankhede.
Why did then the third umpire declared Virat Kohli out?
It is because, according to him, the evidence provided by the replays and the technology wasn’t conclusive enough to come to a clear answer whether the ball hit the bat first or not. With Virat Kohli making a mistake of overstriding across the angle of the ball, and having his bat placed side-on with an opened face, it became tougher for the third umpire Virender Sharma.
However, a closer review proved both Chaudhary and Sharma wrong as the ball was seen charting its path towards the inside edge straight without making any initial contact with the pad.
WATCH IT YOURSELF FROM 0:02#IndvsNZtest #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/7JGKi0yMaa
— Uday (@notfinished18) December 3, 2021
Since Virat Kohli was still made to do the long walk back without opening his account, fans unleashed their anger over the social media, giving both the umpires a real stick, especially Sharma that he couldn’t find conclusive evidence when perhaps there was one available.
Here is how they reacted:
Inside Edge released for everyone on @PrimeVideoIN but not for this third umpire.
pic.twitter.com/W8Po7WGSQq
— Nikhil
(@CricCrazyNIKS) December 3, 2021
Okay, don't mind the decision on field but in the frame without the ultra-edge there was a clear case of the ball shadow at the moment ball was hitting the bat, which indicates bat first. But the frame having the ultra-edge didn't get it, it was always the frame further
— Prashanth S (@ps_it_is) December 3, 2021
That was bat first in my opinion. And I understand the 'conclusive evidence' part. But I think this was an instance where common sense should have prevailed. But as they say common sense is not so common. Feel for Virat Kohli. #Unlucky #INDvNZ
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 3, 2021
When Kohli took the review and we were shown the replay everyone had this sigh of relief, but this umpire choose to take it back and dig it. Can’t get over that decision man. It was clearly bat first!
— Prajakta (@18prajakta) December 3, 2021
That was a poor decision by the onfield umpire and a good decision by the 3rd umpire.
But I expect that my timeline will be filled with Indian fans complaining about the 3rd umpire.
There was no evidence to overturn, but there was too much doubt to give that on field.#INDvNZ
— Michael Wagener (@Mykuhl) December 3, 2021
It’s pretty conclusive from the last decade or two that Indian umpires aren’t good. Nitin Menon is probably an exception but he had a bad game recently too. Need to see how good he is in the long run.
— Ajith Ramamurthy (@Ajith_tweets) December 3, 2021
Kohli’s untimely dismissal meant that India went from 80 for 0 to 80/3 in a mini-collapse that also saw opener Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara send back by Ajaz’s fine left-arm spin bowling.