Controversial Umpiring Decisions in India vs England Test at Lord's

Umpiring Controversies in the Lord's Test

The Test match between India and England at Lord's has been marred by contentious umpiring decisions. Throughout the game, several calls made by the umpires appeared to favor England, leading to significant disputes. On the fourth day, field umpire Paul Rifle faced intense scrutiny for his decisions, particularly two that were deemed incorrect and detrimental to India. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his strong disapproval of Rifle's rulings, making a notable statement regarding the situation.

Disputed Calls by Paul Rifle

During England's second innings on the fourth day, Rifle controversially did not declare Joe Root out LBW off a delivery from Mohammed Siraj, despite DRS indicating the ball was hitting the stumps. The on-field umpire's decision remained unchanged. Additionally, in India's second innings, Rifle ruled Shubman Gill out caught off the first ball from Brydon Carse, although replays clearly showed the ball had not touched the bat. Fortunately, Gill successfully utilized DRS and was ruled not out.

Ashwin's Strong Remarks on Umpiring

Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to discuss Rifle's decisions, stating, 'Whenever India bowls, Paul Rifle seems to think the batsman is not out. Conversely, when India bats, he always believes the batsman is out. If this bias is not just against India but applies to all teams, the ICC needs to address this.' He further commented on Gill's dismissal, saying, 'I could park a sedan between the bat and ball. It was clear he was not out. This isn't the first time; my father, watching the match with me, remarked, 'Whenever Paul is officiating, India won't win.'

Additional Umpiring Decisions

The second field umpire, Saikat Sharifuddaula, also made controversial calls against India during the match. He ruled Akash Deep out LBW twice in the same over during India's first innings, but both decisions were overturned thanks to DRS.