During the second day of the fourth Test of the ongoing Pataudi Trophy between England and India at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, Ben Stokes dismissing Ajinkya Rahane became the highlight of the second session mainly because of how things proceeded during the review.
Advertisement
It happened on the penultimate delivery of the 47th over when Stokes found Rahane plumb in front of the stumps. There weren’t many apprehension regarding the dismissal for the ball looked to hit the stumps.
Once umpire Bruce Oxenford rules the batsman out, it appeared unlikely that the ball would completely miss the stumps, something that the Indians fans were hoping for. That being said, what followed during the review procedure called for debatable talks.
Stokes’ front foot was seen crossing the line to a naked eye. The same was evident even after some replays. However, umpire Joel Wilson was of another opinion and ruled the ball as a ‘fair delivery’, something which meant that there were minimal chances of Rahane surviving the verdict.
Wilson’s decision attracted instant arguments on Twitter. From people criticizing the West Indian umpire to disgracing the technological side of the game, there were numerous responses on the social networking platform. Renowned ex-cricketers and experts, too, lent their voices on the issue.
However, most of them were of the opinion that the first impact of Stokes’ foot had his heel slightly behind the crease. Some of them also advocate for the benefit of doubt going to the bowler in such a scenario.
Earlier in the Test match, the Indian bowlers had bundled out the opposition for 246 in 76.4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah, who opened the bowling for India, was the pick of their bowlers, picking up figures of 20-5-46-3. The Indian bowlers were assisted well by their fielders, especially captain Virat Kohli, who took two brilliant catches to dismiss Alistair Cook and Jos Buttler.
Watch the major Twitter reactions on Rahane’s dismissal:
