A mini-fracus broke out between umpire Nitin Menon, bowler R Ashwin and captain Ajinkya Rahane. It was about the way in which he was bowling when Ashwin went to the stumps. He would run throughout the stumps, cross the umpire’s line of sight and virtually go the ball to the non-striker. He will transfer them away from the hazard zone, and away from the non-striker.
A veteran first-class umpire, who wished to stay nameless, stated it was not about obstructing the hazard zone or the umpire’s sight, however about obstructing a non-striker.
Ravichandran Ashwin talks to captain Ajinkya Rahane throughout the second day of his first Test cricket match with New Zealand in Kanpur, India, Friday, November 26, 2021. (AP Photo / Altaf Qadri)
“It comes underneath truthful play and the umpire has each proper to take action. This is mainly widespread sense. Twice, a minimum of, now we have seen that Ashwin was completely conversant after releasing the ball. He was in no hurry to get out of the way in which. If there was even one likelihood, there would have been a collision.”
Initially when Menon began exchanging phrases, it appeared that he was objecting to the bowler working into the hazard zone. But replays made it clear that Ashwin shouldn’t be doing this.
It was then doubted whether or not it was about obstructing the umpire’s sight, which once more was not the case.
The matter bought heated after the fourth ball of the 76th over. Menon sternly tells Ashwin and Rahane additionally joins the crime scene. When Menon took Ashwin apart for a dialog, he was livid and a heated argument broke out between the 2. So a lot in order that the sport got here to a halt and Rahane needed to intervene and pacify Ashwin.
After the chat, Ashwin once more bowled like this
The umpire says that is why the subsequent time Ashwin bought right into a heated argument once more, he ran all the way in which and bought away from the strip of the pitch.
“That tells me it wasn’t concerning the hazard space or the umpire’s imaginative and prescient however concerning the non-striker. The non-striker cannot stand on the opposite aspect, as a result of that might truly hinder the imaginative and prescient of his associate on strike Ashwin’s run up will probably be proper behind him. Of course he can stand close to sq. leg however it might not make sense contemplating the inexperienced grass throughout.
“Ashwin only had to walk away from the strip, which he later did after talking to Menon,” the umpire instructed this newspaper.
What is punishment?
“It’s just a friendly chat, basically a gentle warning at first. As it falls within fair play. Only if things escalate, will the umpire give an official warning and let the rules do their job.”
Outside the boundary, Rahul Dravid was seen working to talk to match referrer Javagal Srinath, who was on the telephone on the time.
“Do you think he called me? No, he didn’t. What could it be for lunch, you know!” The umpire laughs.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
