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After four days of pulsating action during the third Test of the five-match series between England and India at Lord’s in London, the contest is anyone’s for the taking with the series leveled at 1-1. India need to score 135 more runs for a win, but they found themselves 58/4 in their second innings at the close of play on day four, handing over the advantage to the opposition somewhat after losing three quick wickets in the last half hour.
While the cricket has been exceptional in the Lord’s Test, the umpiring has come into question, especially from Paul Reiffel, who hails from Australia after a couple of iffy decisions from him. On day four of the contest, when Mohammed Siraj found the front pad of Joe Root after the batter missed a straight ball while walking into the stroke across the stumps, Paul Reiffel gave him not out despite the middle and leg stump clearly visible on impact of the ball.
Whenever India bowls, Paul Reiffel feels that it’s not out: Ravichandran Ashwin
It led to a review from Indian captain Shubman Gill, and technology showed the umpire’s call was right indeed, but the Indian players were livid about Paul Reiffel not giving the batter out on the field. In his assessment of Paul Reiffel’s umpiring on his YouTube show with Vimal Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin was quoted as saying, as per the Times of India, “Whenever India bowls, he (Paul Reiffel) feels that it’s not out. When India bats, he feels that it’s always out. If this was the case with every other team and not just India, then ICC will have to take a look at it.”
Later in the day, when India were in pursuit of 193-run target, Shubman Gill missed a straight ball on the drive from Brydon Carse, and Paul Reiffel gave him out caught behind on appeal, to which the right-handed batter took the review straight away. The Indian captain was given not out on review as the visuals clearly showed a big gap between bat and ball, showing how Paul Reiffel was off the mark, to which Ashwin said, “From between the bat and the ball, I own a car, a sedan, which can pass through the gap. It is clear that it’s not out.”
Ravichandran Ashwin also shared an anecdote from his father about Paul Reiffel, which read, “Whenever Paul Reiffel comes, we never win.”
