Hardik Pandya, did he get bowled or not?
The third umpire didn’t think there was enough proof to say that the wicketkeeper’s glove had pulled off the bail.
- In the first One Day International between India and New Zealand, Hardik Pandya was controversially bowled out, despite the possibility that the wicketkeeper’s glove had actually loosened the bails.
- In the 40th over of India’s innings, Hardik was out as he hesitated before hitting a dab shot to deep third off a delivery from Daryl Mitchell. The on-field umpire referred the situation to TV umpire K Ananthapadmanabhan after the off bail was knocked off by a delivery that came dangerously close to the stumps.
- The bails appeared to light up momentarily after the ball had passed over the top of the stumps and into wicketkeeper Tom Latham’s gloves, as evidenced by replays, who was also standing up to the stumps with his gloves quite close to the bails.
- The TV umpire determined that the delivery was acceptable because Latham had his gloves behind the stumps when he caught the ball, and because there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the wicketkeeper’s gloves had dislodged the bail.
- Even commentator Ravi Shastri wasn’t convinced. “I see that it’s already been distributed. There’s good reason for Daryl Mitchell to be cheerful: “As Shastri put it. “Should be overjoyed, as it appears the ball was at least an inch or an inch and a half above the stumps, as seen by the position of the keeper’s gloves, as it passed through the wicket. Seems quite certain that the ball is in the air over the bail. As it passes through the gloves, you can see that the red light doesn’t turn on until much later. So, there you go. The gloves are closer to the bails than the ball is when viewed from this vantage point.”
- After putting up 74 runs for the fifth wicket with Shubman Gill, Hardik was run out for 28 off of 38 balls. Gill went on to record his first ODI century, and India finished with a score of 349 for 8.
- Gill said in the postgame press conference, “As a non-striker, there’s a blind spot; you can’t really know like what happened.” “Watching the replay, I was under the impression that the ball did not touch the wickets. The ball striking the bail and the bail dropping towards the crease, rather than the opposite side, seems a little strange, but these bails are designed differently. These stumps are not like the others, and the bails are very hefty. Ultimately, you must accept the call made by the third umpire.”