Sydney: Umpires have hardly made the headlines like the way they have in the Sydney Test with dismal decisions ruling the roost at the SCG. And unfortunately for the visiting Indian team, they are staring defeat largely due to the men in the white coats.
The Indian team management in Australia had decided to let the issue go despite BCCI's instructions after the first innings. But after errors continued to prevail, BCCI President Sharad Pawar has decided to lodge an official complain with ICC against it, Board Vice-President Rajiv Shukla has said. The BCCI says the umpiring standard has been unacceptable and it did not find it to be neutral.
Umpire Steve Bucknor is playing his part in handing Australia a likely win in the Sydney Test. Umpires Mark Benson and Bucknor have come under flak for some shocking decisions in the match and with India fighting a hard battle to save the Test, Bucknor did it again on the decisive final day.
On the fifth day, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had led the recovery act from 54-3 and had taken the score to 115-3 as India chased an unlikely 333 for a win.
Dravid had played solidly to get to 38 and was undone by this decision from Bucknor, followoing a caught behind appeal by Andrew Symonds.
Dravid, not one to reveal his emotions on the field, reacted angrily and replays confirmed why. The bat was way behind the pad but was adjudged to have edged the ball.
Sourav Ganguly continued with his purple patch with the bat with characteristic elegance, but when he edged the ball to slip fielder Michael Clarke who claimed a dubious catch, umpire Mark Benson thought it apt to ask captain Ricky Ponting who confirmed he did take it even as Ganguly refused to leave the field.
India, who could have easily saved the second Test, instead stared at defeat which could deal a severe blow to their series leveling chances. Replays confirmed Clarke had grounded the catch.
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Umpire Bucknor has been in the eye of the storm throughout the Sydney Test with a series of wrong decisions, all but one going against India.
Ricky Ponting's edge to MS Dhoni off Sourav Ganguly went against India in the first innings, after which the batsman was declared out leg before when he had indeed hit the ball with his bat first. And then with India in the driver’s seat after reducing Australia to 134-six, Bucknor swung to action giving Andrew Symonds several reprieves after which he remained unbeaten on 162 guiding the Aussies to a mammoth 463.
The Jamaican umpire even refused to call the third umpire on stumping appeals on Symonds. And in one instance, even the third umpire declared ‘not out’ when the batsman’s foot hadn’t made its way back.
Bucknor again faltered when Wasim Jaffer was cleaned up by Brett Lee, replays clearly showing the Aussie spearhead overstepping in India’s first innings.
After the first day’s play, the BCCI had instructed the team management to lodge an official complaint against the umpiring owing to appalling calls but the management decided against it. It would be interesting to see after more decisions going against India, possibly affecting the outcome of the match and the series, whether India will now take on Bucknor.
Steve Bucknor is also scheduled to officiate in the third Test at Perth from January 16, along with Pakistan’s Asad Rauf.
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