IND vs AUS 2023: Australia Distraught As Poor Umpiring Decisions Cost Them Rohit Sharma’s Wicket Twice In 1st Over
Mar 1, 2023 at 9:54 AM
Australia seem to have run out of luck in their ongoing tour of India. Not much has gone right for them since they landed in India last month. Injuries to key players, poor performances with the bat, poor DRS decisions on the field – almost everything has gone wrong for Australia so far.
Their hopes of winning the series and reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has already ended after their loss in the first two Tests. India inflicted heavy defeats on the visitors in both the games as they won both of them inside three days.
The hosts won the series-opener by an innings and 132 runs before winning the second Test by 6 wickets. In 4 innings, Australia managed to cross the 200-run mark just once while being bowled out for 91, 177 and 113 in the other three.
Australia’s poor luck continues:
With Steve Smith being the stand-in captain in absence of Pat Cummins, Australia must have hoped for a change in fortune in the ongoing third Test. However, it took them just one ball to realise that luck has seemingly deserted them at the moment.
After India won the toss and decided to bat first, Mitchell Starc would have given Australia a flying start if not for the umpire’s blunders and his team’s hesitation against reviewing the decisions. The left-arm pacer had dismissed Rohit twice and on both the occasions, umpire Nitin Menon gave his decision in the favour of the batsman.
Australia also decided against reviewing the decision, only to regret it later. On the very first ball of the match, Rohit had edged a Starc delivery behind the stumps to the wicketkeeper. The umpire adjudged it a not out and Australian players decided against going upstairs after a brief discussion.
However, the UltraEdge showed that Rohit had indeed edged the ball. The cameras soon turned towards the Australia dressing room where head coach Andrew McDonald looked absolutely distraught. Three balls later, Starc and Australia could have Rohit’s wicket once again but the umpire’s decision and their decision of not reviewing it cost them again.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 1, 2023
The fast-bowler beat Rohit’s inside edge with a swinging delivery and the ball went to the wicketkeeper after touching the pads. The Australian players did appeal for a lbw decision but the umpire did not raise his finger. Seconds later, the replays showed that Rohit would have been out had Australia reviewed the decision.
Definitely not the start Australia wanted…#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/T87Jm0AcLX
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 1, 2023
Also Read: IND vs AUS 2023: Team India Already Planning For ICC WTC Final, Hints Rohit Sharma