Virat Kohli found himself at the center of yet another Decision Review System (DRS) controversy during the second day of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. The Indian captain expressed his displeasure afterwards Mitchell Marsh survived a narrow LBW call in the first session, thanks to third umpire’s interpretation of snicko and lack of conclusive evidence.
The Mitchell Marsh DRS incident
In the 58th over of Australia’s innings, Marsh faced Ravichandran Ashwin. Coming down the pitch, Marsh was hit on the board with his bat near the ball. On-field umpire Richard Illingworth ruled it out, prompting the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to call for DRS.
Replays showed a spike in snicko as the ball went close to both bat and pad. The third umpire, Richard Kettleborough, was not convinced as to whether the ball hit the backboard or the bat first. He decided not to overturn the on-field decision, allowing Marsh to remain at the crease.
“I wasn’t sure if it was bat or pad first,” Kettleborough was heard saying during the broadcast. Hawkeye technology, which determines the trajectory of the ball, was not even requested.
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Virat Kohli confronts the umpire
The decision sparked frustration in the Indian camp. Virat Kohli he even approached referee Illingworth to express his displeasure. He reminded the referee of an almost identical case related to KL Rahul during the first test.
“KL was the same in Perth—two spikes, bat and pad,” Kohli told Illingworth.
Watch the incident here:
https://twitter.com/huzaiff_01/status/1865275595745042878
During the Perth Test, Rahul was dismissed despite inconclusive corners, with the third umpire overturning the on-field decision. Kohli’s frustration was reflected Indiahis concerns about inconsistency in the implementation of DRS protocols.
At the time of the incident, Marsh had yet to score. By lunchtime, he had managed to scratch two runs of 10 balls, with Australia at 191/4, leading by 11 runs. The early suspension, however, could prove decisive in a closely contested race. Marsh was eventually dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin for 9.
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