Table of Contents
On Day 2 of the ongoing Third Test between India and England, the cricketing spotlight abruptly shifted to the DRS dismissal of Ollie Pope by seamer Mohammed Siraj. The LBW appeal, initially dismissed by the on-field umpire, took a dramatic turn after the hosts opted for the Decision Review System (DRS).
The third umpire overturned the decision, sparking a contentious moment that ignited a spectrum of opinions within the cricketing fraternity. The controversy surrounding the call drew diverse reactions, further fuelling the ongoing debate about the effectiveness and reliability of technology in adjudicating crucial decisions on the field.
Ollie Pope’s controversial wicket
The pivotal moment transpired when Siraj delivered a well-pitched ball, exhibiting good length and a slight inward movement from outside off. Pope found himself on the wrong side of the delivery, getting beaten on the inside edge, only to be struck high on the front pad. The ball then hurried away towards the off-side boundary. Despite the loud appeal from Siraj, the on-field umpire initially dismissed the appeal.
However, displaying confidence in the potential of a successful review, urged skipper Rohit Sharma to challenge the decision. Upon closer scrutiny through the DRS, the visual evidence revealed three ominous red dots, suggesting a conclusive impact on the stumps. The reversal of the decision left Pope visibly stunned. At the same time, the Indian team celebrated their successful review, adding an electrifying moment to the unfolding drama at Rajkot.
Twitter floods with opinions
The decision reversal prompted doubts about the reliability of the technology, as the initial on-field assessment suggested the ball might not have sufficiently hit the stumps. This discrepancy sparked a flurry of diverse opinions on Twitter, with the cricketing community expressing contrasting views on the weight of DRS in accurately adjudicating crucial moments in the game.
Also READ- IND vs ENG: England’s legendary pacer James Anderson reveals details about his retirement plans
Here is how Twitter reacted:
That looked High to me …
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 16, 2024
Looks high to me for 3 reds! ❌ https://t.co/0lCQ5k3ROK
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) February 16, 2024
That Ollie pope wicket was not out. It was going over by quite a bit #INDvENG #INDvENGTest
— Jawad (@JawadMS13) February 16, 2024
Good day of cricket but Ollie Pope LBW I was not happy about DRS
— Abongile 🇿🇦🇿🇦 (@AboshDaOne) February 16, 2024
Still in disbelief at that Ollie Pope DRS decision. Mega forces at work #INDvsENG
— RESIST. (@resist_the_Liie) February 16, 2024
Another rigged decision of DRS? I feel it was going above wickets or max to max umpires call because this pitch has bounce on it and it was above the knee roll of pads!
Ollie Pope wasn't out imo, India getting very lucky with these DRS.#INDvENG— ARMAAN (@ArmaanRP17) February 16, 2024
India should have a 100percent success rate in DRS, considering how it helps them significantly on a personal level. Ollie Pope was clearly not out in any other country’s DRS. #INDvsENG
— Ubaid Rasool (@Ubaid_Rasool) February 16, 2024
I'm sorry, there is no way that Ollie Pope is out there 😂. DRS on the blink or tampered with 😂
— Jade Manasse 🔰 (@Jade_Manasse) February 16, 2024
This is the difference, India learnt from the mistake and came back stronger. Avoided the mistakes in 1st test. Gracefully accepted England deserved to win after heroics of Ollie Pope and Hartley On the other hand u started raking issues like DRS, fixing🤣😂
— Nimesh Thaker (@NimeshThaker1) February 6, 2024
Ollie Pope was plum in front, no disputing that LBW decision @StuartBroad8 – especially as the stumps were 4ft high
— MIKE WALTERS (@MikeWaltersMGM) February 16, 2024
