The third India vs New Zealand Test match in Mumbai was filled with heartbreak and controversy, particularly surrounding a DRS decision involving Rishabh Pant. The southpaw, known for his stellar performances in red-ball cricket, fell victim to Ajaz Patel's impressive bowling display, which saw him take a total of 11 wickets in both innings combined.
Pant was showcasing his batting prowess amidst a crumbling Indian top-order, single-handedly keeping India's hopes alive in the chase of 147 runs on a spin-friendly track. However, his valiant effort came to an end in the 22nd over when he was dismissed for 64 runs by Patel. The dismissal occurred when Pant attempted to defend a delivery, only for the ball to hit his pads and pop up for a catch by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Despite initial hesitation from New Zealand to review the decision, they ultimately took the risk and it paid off as UltraEdge confirmed a spike as the ball passed the bat. Pant, however, seemed unconvinced and engaged in discussions with the umpires, suggesting that the bat hitting the pad may have caused the spike. Nevertheless, the TV umpire intervened and overturned the on-field umpire's decision, ruling Pant out.
The dismissal left Pant visibly disappointed as he made his way back to the pavilion, leaving India struggling at 106/7, still 41 runs short of the target.
Following the incident, social media was inundated with allegations of foul play, prompting former South African cricketer AB de Villiers to weigh in on the debate.
"Controversy! Little grey area once again. Did Pant get bat on that or not? Problem is when the ball passes the bat at exactly the same time a batter hits his pad snicko will pick up the noise. But how sure are we he hit it? I’ve always worried about this and here it happens at a huge moment in a big Test match. Where’s hotspot?!" - wrote De Villiers in a post shared on X.
De Villiers questioned the decision made by the TV umpire, emphasizing that even in cases of uncertainty, the third umpire should defer to the on-field call.
"Fact is there must’ve been doubt. Surely you stay with on-field call then? Unless the 3rd Ump clearly saw a deviation? I’m not so sure. And don’t get me wrong, I have no bias here, just pushing for consistent calls and good use of tech," De Villiers added.
New Zealand emerged victorious in the third Test in Mumbai, securing a 25-run win. Prior to this, they had triumphed over India by eight wickets in Bengaluru and by 113 runs in Pune. This series marked the first time that India had been whitewashed at home in a series with three or more Tests.
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