Hardik Pandya’s controversial dismissal in the first ODI against New Zealand triggered a debate online, with many fans claiming the all-rounder was not out. While Hardik Pandya was adjudged out by the third umpire, the cricket fraternity argued it was not the ball but Tom Latham’s gloves that had brushed the bails.
While Hardik Pandya was adjudged out by the third umpire, noted India cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Shastri and Wasim Jaffer argued it was not out as it was New Zealand captain Tom Latham’s gloves that had brushed the bails and not the ball.
Hardik Pandya Was Robbed: Wasim Jaffer
The incident occurred in the 40th over as Hardik Pandya tried to defend the ball angling towards him. The ball, which passed very close to the stumps, was collected by the wicketkeeper, who was standing close to the stump, but in the process, one of the bails got dislodged. The decision was then referred to the third umpire, who after a good examination ruled it in favour of the fielding side.
However, TV replays gave a different perception as Tom Latham had his gloves very close to the bails, and the bails appeared to light up a fraction after the ball settled in the wicketkeeper’s gloves. The third umpire also checked if Tom Latham had collected the ball behind the stumps, which he did, and with no conclusive evidence, the benefit of the doubt went against Hardik Pandya.
The TV umpire checked whether Tom Latham’s gloves were behind the stumps before he collected the ball – which they were, so it was a legal delivery – and he was satisfied that there was no conclusive evidence that the bail had been dislodged by the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Ravi Shastri, who was doing commentary at the moment, felt the decision was unfair to the batter.
“Oh, it’s been given out! Daryl Mitchell should be happy,” Ravi Shastri said on-air.
“Should really be happy, because that, if you take a look again as to where the keeper’s gloves are, where the ball is as it passes the stumps, it looked as if the ball was at least an inch, inch-and-a-half above the stumps”
” Ball clearly looks to be above the bail. You can see as it goes past into the gloves, there’s no red light, it’s only after that. There you go. From that angle you can see that the gloves are closer to the bails than the ball,” he added.
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin also believed Hardik Pandya was “not out”. Later in the innings, the Kiwi captain and wicket-keeper, Tom Latham, was once again under the spotlight after he accidentally dislodged the bails when Shubman Gill played the cut shot and the decision went upstairs.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was clearly disappointed with the third umpire’s poor decision making and he took to Twitter to state that Shubman Gill’s cut shot where Tom Latham accidentally dislodged the bails once again clearly proved why Hardik Pandya was not out.
“Forget about split screens and replays, the cut shot from Shubhman Gill proved why Hardik was clearly Not Out,” he tweeted.
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffar also felt the same and tweeted: “Hardik robbed there.”
Hardik Pandya fell for 28 off 38 deliveries but it didn’t hurt India much as Shubman Gill’s heroics in Hyderabad on Wednesday drove India to a staggering 349/8 in 50 overs. Shubman Gill was dismissed in the last over for 208(149) which was studded with 19 fours and nine sixes. India ended the inning with 349/8.
Michael Bracewell And Mitchell Santner Took The 1st ODI Game Close Before Falling Short By 12 Runs
In response, Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner almost foiled India’s party with their stunning knocks, but it was the hosts who eventually ended up on the winning side. Chasing 350, New Zealand got off to a slow start and lost half their side inside 25 overs.
However, a solid partnership between Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner kept New Zealand in the hunt. The pair added 162 runs for the seventh wicket, with Mitchell Santner chipping with a 45-ball 57.
Despite losing his partner, Michael Bracewell kept things moving and was the final man to depart. He was trapped LBW for 140 off 78 balls by Shardul Thakur in the final over as New Zealand fell short by 12 runs in the 350-run chase.
Brief Scores: India 349/8 (Shubhman Gill 208, Rohit Sharma 34; Daryl Mitchell 2-30) won over New Zealand: 337 (Michael Bracewell 140, Mitchell Santner 57, Mohammed Siraj 4/46).