Controversy started the fourth day of the India vs Australia 4th Test. Taking the field a few minutes ago at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the Australia cricket team’s captain, Pat Cummins, wished to challenge the third umpire. Having induced an edge of his own bowling, Cummins and the whole Australia team were convinced they had gotten Mohammed Siraj out and packed the India cricket team for 369.
Cummins had bowled a yorker outside off stump, which took the edge, and Steve Smith took an easy catch in second slip. But the on-field umpires (Michael Gough and Joel Wilson) weren’t convinced. They thought it was a bump ball, which had hit the ground before Smith gobbled it up.
Pat Cummins wants to take DRS against third umpire
The third umpire (Sharfuddoula) was called upon. The replays showed that the ball hadn’t hit the turf before going to Smith, but controversially the third umpire adjudged it ‘not out.’ “I can see the ball after hitting the back; I am satisfied,” Sharfuddoula told the on-field umpires.
Australian players and the commentators were baffled by the decision. Perplexed, Cummins asked the on-field umpires about the call made by the third umpire and signalled the ‘T,’ urging them to send the decision upstairs once again as he wanted to take a Decision Review System (DRS) against the third umpire.
The on-field umpires didn’t allow the Australian captain to challenge the third umpire’s decision, and Cummins walked back with disappointment. Luckily, the controversial ruling didn’t hurt the hosts. In the very next over, Nathan Lyon came on and got the wicket of centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Team India was all out for 369. Australia got a 105-run lead, allowing the visitors to score just 11 runs on the fourth day.
