List of Bad umpiring decisions in 2nd test between India and Australia

January 7, 2008

The series of wrong decisions and bad umpiring has continued even in the day 5 of the third test between India and Australia where India lost the match. Two dismissals of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in the fifth day given out by the umpires proved to be wrong. These batsmen were batting to save the match for India but bad umpiring cost their wickets and took the match away from India. This act of giving wrong decisions has started from the very first day of this test match.

Here is a list of some bad umpiring decisions in the 2nd test match between India and Australia:

1) Australian batsman Andrew Symonds was caught by MS Dhoni off Ishant Sharma when on 30 but to the horror of the Indian team, Bucknor decided he was not out. Symonds later disclosed the fact himself that he was out but Symonds went on to score an unbeaten 137 to spearhead a great recovery after the hosts were tottering at 134 for six at one stage.2) On the second day Andrew Symonds got a life when he was stumped by Dhoni. Dhoni appealed when he stumped Symonds but it made no difference in the mind of umpire Steve Bucknor. He didn’t even refereed to the third umpire. If it was referred it would definitely be given out. Bad Umpiring saved Symonds in this match at least three times.

3) Skipper Ricky Ponting got two lives in this test match due to the bad umpiring decisions.

4) Similarly, in the second innings Michael Hussey got thick edge of RP Singh before Dhoni caught it but Mr. Bucknor thought otherwise and gave not out. Hussey became the centurion in the inning and helped a lot in taking the match away from India.

5) On the final day of the match Rahul Dravid was given out caught behind by the wicket keeper by the umpire Steve Bucknor. Actually the ball had just clipped the pad of Dravid and no part of bat was in contact with the ball. It was completely a bad umpiring scene as the bat was far away from the bat.

6) Another wrong decision was found when Sourav Ganguly was dismissed in the fifth day caught by Michael Clarke in the ball delivered by Brett Lee. The ball had actually fall shot of Michael Clarke and had landed on the ground before going into the hands of Clarke. There was an appeal for caught and Umpire Mark Benson asked the fielding captain Ricky Ponting and after his order, gave Ganguly out. Completely bad umpiring because Benson should have asked for the leg umpire instead of Ponting. After that it could be referred to the third umpire.

I forget about these wrong decisions. Here are those bad umpiring decisions anyway:

7) In the Indian first Innings, Wasim Jaffer was bowled by Brett Lee in an outstanding yorker nad was given out by the umpire. But actually it was a no ball as Lee had slightly crossed the line by his foot. No doubt it was a really great ball but how can a batsmen be given out in a no ball. Definitely a bad decision. Umpires are also human and can make mistakes so to detect no balls technology must be used against which umpires protested.

When Andrew Symonds was on 48 in the first Innings he was actually out but not given out by the batsmen.

ICC had decided to do an experiment to abolish bad umpiring decisions where a player could appeal to the third umpire when he thought it was a wrong decision. But this plan was ruled out after the protest of umpires. ICC recently announced that this experiment can be held now. Its planning to perform this experiment which can help players to get rid of bad umpiring.

Indian cricket board(BCCI) has announced that it will appeal against the bad umpiring in the second test between India and Australia. Steve Bucknor was regarded as the worst umpire by Indian capatain Sourav Ganguly during 2003-04 in a tour where he had given many wrong decisions. There will always be a question mark in the umpiring of Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor. Will their condition be same as that of Darrel Hair after the Oval test.

India lost the match by 122 runs and got away from the chance of winning the series. Its also the 16th consecutive win for Australia in tests. But certainly the match would not have the same results if Bad Umpiring would not be in play. Even though I am an Indian cricket fan and I like Australia too, I must say India deserved at least a draw.