The second session of Day 4 of India’s second Test against England included a contentious moment when Tom Hartley survived a tight LBW judgment after originally seeking a review for a caught behind dismissal.
Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin seemed to collect his 500th Test wicket as Tom Hartley tried a reverse sweep, which was caught by a defender in close range. However, the England player immediately requested a review, and video revealed that the ball struck his arm rather than his glove.
However, because the arm was in the path of the stumps upon making contact with the ball, the third umpire also sought an LBW review. DRS revealed that the umpire’s decision on the impact and stumps was quite close.
The batter was ruled safe by the third umpire despite being initially called out on the field. This decision was a puzzle for the Indian team. Rohit Sharma, the captain, quickly approached on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney for an explanation.
The ‘out’ call was only meant for a caught dismissal, not for LBW. The first appeal made was for caught behind, not LBW.
The batter was granted the benefit of the doubt in this specific umpire’s rule case, as there was no conclusive on-field ruling, resulting in Tom Hartley remaining at the crease.
Tom Hartley’s defiance gives England hope in record chase
Tom Hartley has not only had a successful series with the ball, but he has also shown to be a competent batsman. He is still keeping England in the game with a timely hit down the order, and as of writing, he is undefeated on 30 runs off 42 deliveries.
Team India is on the verge of a triumph after taking the eighth wicket of the innings. Jasprit Bumrah outfoxed Ben Foakes with a slower delivery, resulting in a caught and bowled decision.
England are at 280-8 after 67 overs, 119 runs behind their mark.
