Jasprit Bumrah's no-ball quandary comes back to haunt him at The Ageas Bowl

Bumrah and the Indian team appealed in unison, but on-field umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down the appeal.

Published - 30 Aug 2018, 17:04 IST | Updated - 30 Aug 2018, 17:04 IST

2 Min Read

Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback in the last match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham was a stupendous one. He notched a five-wicket haul to help India carve their maiden victory against England in the five-match series. However, despite the impressive show, he had to encounter his much problematic no-ball issue when he dismissed Adil Rashid of the same in the dying stages of the fourth day’s play.

The same issue has again come back to petrify him in India’s ongoing Test at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The speedster churned out Keaton Jennings’ wicket in his second over with a delivery, which completely bamboozled the batter. In the first delivery of his very next over, he caught Joe Root, the English captain napping. The ball hit the back of a length and jagged back sharply.

Agony for Bumrah

The batsman came forward to play a defensive stroke but was beaten for pace and movement. His head went down and it suggested that he wasn’t in the appropriate position to stave off the ball. Bumrah and the Indian team appealed in unison, but on-field umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down the appeal. Nevertheless, the fast bowler was pretty confident about the dismissal.

He finally resorted to taking the Decision Review System (DRS). On first look, the impact seemed on line and Root looked plumb in front. Prior to checking the projection of the ball, TV umpire, Joel Wilson checked the legitimacy of the ball. Unfortunately, Bumrah’s hopes of picking up his second wicket went for a toss as his foot landed on the bowling crease.

The line belongs to the umpire and Oxenford didn’t need to overturn his initial decision. Later, replays showed that the leather would’ve crashed between the middle and leg stump and it turned out to be an insult to injury. Fortunately, India didn’t lose the review. Root got a reprieve, but couldn’t make optimum utilisation of the lifeline as he perished to Ishant Sharma three overs later.