Nitin Menon (Photo Source: Twitter)
Umpiring in cricket isn’t an easy job. To deliver real-time decisions that could change the entire course of a game is not always convivial. One needs to be an astute observer and must maintain precision and accuracy while giving out decisions. In an age where people from all over the world can watch, criticise and argue over each decision, cricket umpires constantly find themselves under the microscope.
Recently, a hilarious video has surfaced on social media where the umpire has become the centre of attraction. The video clip seems to be from a cricket match held in some countryside location. The bowler can be seen appealing for a caught after the batter missed his pull stroke.
The umpire initially doesn’t take any cognizance of the appeal following which, the bowler starts going back to his run-up for the next delivery. However, almost out of the blue, the umpire suddenly raises his finger to declare the batter out.
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Umpire’s controversial decisions during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Umpiring and controversy seems to go hand-in-hand nowadays. This video evoked memories of a contentious decision made by the umpire in the second Test of he ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Recently, Indian umpire Nitin Menon was criticized on social media for some decisions he made during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The incident took place during the second Test between India and Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed by debutant Matthew Kuhnemann in the first innings of the second Test. The star batter’s dismissal then caused a massive stir as he was given out LBW despite the replays hinting at a possible contact with the bat.
Despite multiple replays umpire Nitin Menon upheld the decision as Kohli made his way back to the dressing room. The right-hander was playing fine, scoring 44 off 84 balls before the unfortunate dismissal. Notably, that remains his highest score in the ongoing series.
However, India defeated Australia by six wickets and subsequently retained the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Talking about the third Test match, Australia made a terrific comeback to inflict a 9-wicket defeat upon the hosts. With the win, Australia secured their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final to be played on June 7 at The Oval, London. Meanwhile, for Rohit Sharma and Co. a win in the final Test will put them at a safe place.
Here is how Twitter reacted
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