New Delhi: Team India opener Kuala Lumpur RahulA controversial dismissal in the first Test against Australia in Perth sparked widespread debate, with fans questioning the third umpire’s decision. However, former Elite referee Simon Taufel stepped in to clarify the logic behind the ruling.
The incident took place in India’s 23rd over when a ball bowled by Mitchell Starc was deflected towards Rahul.
Rahul, who scored 26 off 74 balls and looked to be doing well, stepped up to defend.
See also: When was the last time R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja missed a Test in India?
The ball passes near the bat and is caught by the goalkeeper Alex Carey. The on-field umpire did not initially rule it out but Australia requested a review. It shows there is a faint edge.
Comments showed there was a spike on Sniko’s body, indicating contact as the ball passed the bat. However, head-on replays, which are crucial in determining whether the sound came from the bat or bat-pad contact, were inconclusive.
Despite the ambiguity, the third referee Richard Illingworthreversed the decision, saying the spike was sufficient evidence of advantage.
Senior Simon Taufel later explained the decision in an interview with 7Cricket. “What we saw on the shooting side was that there was a spike in the RTS where the bat was away from the mat, in other words, the bottom of the bat hadn’t reached the mat yet,” he said. “So if it keeps rolling, you might see the natural course of the second spike (on the Snicko, representing the bat’s pad) going through it.”
See also: ‘It’s a joke’, ‘ridiculous umpiring’: KL Rahul’s dismissal against Australia sparks outrage
A visibly frustrated Rahul expressed his disbelief as he walked back to the pavilion. His dismissal proved costly as India were already under pressure, falling to 47/4 amid the relentless pace of Australia’s attack.
The decision sparked outrage on social media, with many fans calling it a “joke” and arguing that the lack of a clear positive angle should have ensured the batsman’s guilt.
