India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar indicates soreness in hosts' camp over umpire Nigel Llong's leg before decision which sent India captain Virat Kohli back to the pavilion
Virat Kohli returns to the pavilion after his dismissal on Day 3 of the second Test against Australia in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/PTI
Indian skipper Virat Kohli, strangely short of runs in the current series, was clearly not pleased with the way his dismissal came about. For sure he was making out a fight of it — after all he's known as a man for the big occasion — when a Josh Hazlewood delivery kept a trifle low and wrapped him on the pads. Kohli straightaway signaled for the decision to be reviewed, confident in his mind that he had hit the ball first.
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However, after innumerable replays, the third umpire ruled that the ball had hit pad first (it didn't matter if it hit the bat or not after that) or at least agreed with the on-field umpire Nigel Llong, who by ruling Kohli leg-before had obviously concluded that the ball hadn't hit bat first. With no conclusive evidence as far as the edge was concerned and with all three boxes ticked for the leg-before to be upheld, Kohli had to go.
But both he and the Indian team weren't impressed at all as batting coach Sanjay Bangar said later during the media interaction.
India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar
"We all were a bit surprised by the call. Was there conclusive evidence to make that call (about ball hitting pad first or bat first)? That is something the match referee will look into and have a chat about it," said Bangar.
The rules, however, are clear. There has to be conclusive evidence to overturn an on-field umpire's decision and in this case there wasn't, so Llong's decision, right or wrong, had to stand.
But, it's not as if that one decision has left the Indians totally downcast.
"We have fought really well in the last few days. After having the setback of not scoring runs in the first innings, clawing our way back, the team has stuck together, not letting the game run away from us. Coming back from the second session we didn't lose any wickets and consolidated the third session. Overall I think, what lies ahead could be exhilarating stuff," said Bangar.
He didn't think the surface had eased out as such. "I think it will be a tough surface for both the teams and the cracks are going to get wider with time. At the moment, the match is very much in balance," he said. It most certainly is.
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