Yahoo Movies England players could face disciplinary action after confronting umpires about Ben Stokes' overruled 'catch'
Joe Root, Stuart Broad and James Anderson could all face disciplinary action for angrily confronting the umpires on a disastrous day for England in Ahmedabad.
The tourists' hopes of a rare series win in India were already in tatters after they were skittled for just 112 in their first innings. But England were most infuriated by third umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin's handling of two incidents in India's reply, with captain Root and head coach Chris Silverwood subsequently submitting a formal complaint to the match referee after play.
On the 10th ball of India’s innings, Shubman Gill edged to Ben Stokes at second slip. It was unclear whether Stokes had taken the catch cleanly; the on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary's soft signal was out but with replays seeming to indicate the ball being grounded, the third umpire swiftly adjudged Gill to be not out. That immediately prompted Root, Broad and Anderson to speak at length to Chaudary, with all three players visibly frustrated. Root and Broad spoke to the umpire again at the end of the over.
Then, late in the day Jack Leach’s appeal for a stumping against Rohit Sharma was also referred to the TV umpire, and was again swiftly ruled in favour of the batsman. “All we want is consistency,” Root appeared to say to the on-field umpire after the stumping decision.
Root and Silverwood spoke to match referee Javagal Srinath after play to register their displeasure.
“The captain and head coach acknowledged the challenges the umpires faced and asked respectfully that in making any decisions there was consistency in the process," said an ECB spokesman. "The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires.”
Although captains are permitted to talk to umpires on the field, the ICC Code of Conduct says players can be sanctioned if they show "excessive, obvious disappointment with an umpire’s decision" or "arguing or entering into a prolonged discussion with the umpire about his decision."
That would leave room for all three players to be potentially sanctioned. Ben Stokes was seen bursting into laughter when his catch was overturned and he also started applauding as he walked away, although it was unclear if he was sarcastically applauding the decision, or if he was simply trying to encourage his team-mates.
Zak Crawley, who made 53 in England's total of 112, struggled to conceal his irritation at the decisions.
“It is frustrating,” he said. “It doesn't help our chances of winning when the 50-50s don't go with us. It’s out of our control. We can make it a bit easier for the umpires by taking wickets without the need for 50-50s.”
Crawley said that England were particularly aggrieved by the sense of double standards, with a number of replays being used before it was found that Jack Leach had been taken at slip during England’s innings but the verdicts on India’s batsmen seemingly rushed.
“When we batted Jack had a similar sort of one where it didn't quite carry and it seemed like they looked at it from five or six different angles,” he said. “When we were fielding it seemed like they looked at it from one angle. That's where the frustrations lie. I can't say whether they were out or not out, but I think the frustrations lie with not checking more thoroughly.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised Shamshuddin for seeming to rush the stumping verdict.
“That is really poor from the third umpire, he has not looked at every angle again,” Vaughan said. “Joe Root is right in what he is saying to the umpire. The point is that it may still be not out but it's about the procedure you go through as a third umpire. You need to check every angle.”
What happened, exactly?
On the 10th ball of India’s innings — in reply to England's total of 112 — Shubman Gill edged Stuart Broad to Ben Stokes, who was fielding at second slip.
Stokes took the catch low with his fingers pointing down, but the ball began to slip from them as he attempted to complete the catch. The all-rounder claimed the catch and the on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary's soft signal was out, but the third umpire swiftly adjudged that the ball had been grounded and was not caught cleanly by Stokes, ruling that Gill was not out.
"The ball clearly bounced", third umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin said on air.
In the moments after Gill's reprieve, Broad, James Anderson and Joe Root all remonstrated with Chaudhary. Stokes burst into laughter, adamant that he had caught the ball cleanly, and started applauding as he walked away. It was unclear if he was sarcastically applauding the decision, or if he was simply trying to encourage his team-mates, but England's irritation was obvious.
Why were England so angry?
England’s anger seemed to be two-fold. They did not believe there was conclusive evidence to overturn the soft signal of out. And they also seemed perturbed by how quickly Shamshuddin made his decision, which was far hastier than normal for decisions referred to the TV umpire.
Doubtless, lingering frustration with England’s own insipid first innings display of 112 all out added to the players’ frustrations.
While replays did suggest the ball was grounded, on occasions it can appear that way even when the ball is caught cleanly. Shots of players catching balls which come close to the ground are routinely foreshortened by television camera lenses, which often do not pick up on fingers being underneath, but largely behind, the ball.
All that said, most commentators judged that there was no basis to give Sharma out. “As the balls hits the hand it bounces into the ground,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said.
Will England's players be in trouble?
England’s players could be liable to incurring demerit points if they are found guilty of dissent. Should players amass enough demerit points they are then liable to face a ban, but even if England players are found guilty on this occasion that is unlikely to result in them receiving enough points to be banned for any matches.
Indian captain Virat Kohli was involved in a dispute with umpires in the second Test, but escaped receiving further demerit points which would have led him to miss a Test match.
