ENG vs IND | Umpire Sharfuddoula in the middle of storm after DRS saves Akash Deep twice in three balls

Yesterday at 10:49 PM

On-field umpire Sharfuddoula has been in the spotlight during the third Test between India and England for all the wrong reasons. After the ball-change fiasco, the official was again the topic of discussion as he wrongly adjudged Akash Deep twice in two balls, with the batter resorting to DRS.

India closed in on England’s first innings total at Lord’s as they rode on KL Rahul’s patient century, with Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja scoring important fifties. After a dominant 141-run stand between Rahul and Pant, India lost both batters in the space of nine balls as England came straight back into the match.

But Jadeja kept them at bay with his gritty half-century, adding 72 and 50 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, respectively. But his dismissal again brought the match back on level terms, with England still holding a lead of 11 runs.

New batter Akash Deep was given out LBW, immediately by umpire Sharfuddoula, on the first ball he faced. Chris Woakes’ delivery swung in wildly after pitching on a short of a length area. Just as the ball hit high on his front pad, Akash confidently reviewed with replays clearly showing the ball going down the leg stump.

A ball later, it was action replay time as the ball hit Akash again on the pad with the umpire raising his finger in what looked like a close call. But Akash reviewed again with the result once again going in his favour amid huge cheers from the crowd.

Twitter was not impressed with Sharfuddoula’s decisions as the match went from bad to worse for the on-field umpire.

Akashdeep survives

— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578)

Akashdeep survives again

— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578)

Wow

2nd Test - Umpire didint raise the finger for anything.

3rd Test - Umpire raising the finger for everything.

😂
— Bhawana (@cricbhawana)

Out given

114.3 over - Umpires gives out, Akash Deep reviews, Missing.

114.5 over - Umpires gives out, Akash Deep reviews, Missing.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

Really

Umpire really doesn't want to watch Akash Deep bat.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer)

Specsaver

This umpire is a specsavers industry plant
— frank_morrish (@frank_morrish)

Twice

Umpire Sharfuddoula gave Akshdeep LBW twice in the same over of Chris Wokes DRS showed ball was missing stumps.😁
— Pramod Kumar Singh (@SinghPramod2784)

Again and again