[WATCH] ENG vs IND 2025: Kumar Dharmasena's finger gesture helps England deny DRS

Veteran Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena triggered an argument after his on-field gesture probably helped England keep away from shedding a Resolution Evaluate System (DRS) attraction throughout Day 1 of the fifth and remaining Check of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.

With India trailing 1-2 within the five-match Check sequence, the fifth Check at The Oval is a must-win for the guests. England, led by Ollie Pope within the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes, gained the toss and opted to bowl first. India made 4 adjustments, with Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel coming into the taking part in XI.

Nonetheless, the controversial incident happened within the thirteenth over of India’s innings. England pacer Josh Tongue bowled a full-toss to younger left-hander Sai Sudharsan, who was hit on the pads after showing to get an inside edge. England went up in attraction for LBW, however Dharmasena instantly dominated it not out.

Whereas the choice after replays was later confirmed as appropriate, Dharmasena’s hand gesture towards the England gamers, indicating the ball had hit the bat. This gesture got here earlier than the 15-second DRS timer had expired, influencing England’s determination to not go for a evaluate.

Had the hosts reviewed, it might have been a waste of their referral. However the visible of the umpire offering clarification has triggered backlash. Many consultants and followers talked about that an umpire ought to by no means present reasoning earlier than a workforce decides whether or not or to not evaluate a choice.

The incident shortly went viral, with followers and former cricketers questioning Dharmasena’s conduct. Former England captain Michael Atherton additionally opened up on the choice. “India would say we would like England to burn their critiques,” he mentioned.

Regardless of shedding openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul early, India managed to recuperate to 72/2 at lunch. Gus Atkinson trapped Jaiswal LBW by means of a profitable DRS evaluate. Rahul adopted quickly after, taking part in on to a brief supply from Chris Woakes. Nonetheless, the workforce misplaced Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharshan quickly after. On the time of writing, the scorecard learn 104/4.

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