“We could have been 15-20 runs ahead had something not happened out there in the end”
At the end of India’s loss to West Indies, Virat Kohli brought up a bizarre incident that happened in the 48th over of their innings. Ravindra Jadeja seemed to have got through for a single despite a direct hit at his end from Roston Chase. Umpire Shaun George initially ruled it not out – never going upstairs for help – but a few seconds later replays shown around the ground revealed that Jadeja had not made his ground and West Indies used that to go up in a second appeal which prompted George to bring the third umpire into play.
Kohli looked displeased while all this was happening live and made it known in no uncertain terms at the post-match presentation. “The thought is simple,” he told Star Sports. “The fielder asked how was that and the umpire said not out. The dismissal ends there. The people sitting [and watching] on the TV outside cannot tell the fielders to tell the umpire to review it again.
“I’ve never seen that happen again. I don’t know where the rules are, where the line is drawn. I think the referee and the umpires have to see that incident again and figure out what needs to be done in cricket. The people sitting outside can’t dictate what happens on the field and I think that’s exactly what happened then.”
West Indies’ captain Kieron Pollard said: “For me at the end of the day, the right decision was made. That’s the most important thing if you’re looking to better the sport, you’re looking to get all the right decisions. Again, for me, we appealed, the umpire didn’t take it, didn’t think it was necessary at that point of time but eventually whatever took place, the right decision was made and that’s what’s most important”
A similar thing happened in the 2017 home season when Australia’s Steven Smith seemed to ask his dressing room for help on a DRS call. Kohli just stopped himself short of calling that cheating.
He did have high praise for West Indies over the way they approached their chase of 288 on Sunday night. “I think they batted really well,” Kohli said. “The pitch didn’t change drastically. The fast bowlers, I think the ball wasn’t holding enough for the fast bowlers, spinners were tough to play, but I think they put enough pressure on our spinners to not let them hit one area. I think [Shimron] Hetmyer’s innings was outstanding and Shai [Hope] held one end.”
There seemed indications that it got better to bat on under lights, that the ball didn’t stick in it as much as it did in the first innings when West Indies’ slower balls had India at 25 for 2. “It [the pitch] wasn’t a drastic change which we thought could’ve been an advantage if it had remained the same,” Kohli said. (ESPNCricinfo)
