SA vs IND: Aakash Chopra draws parallels between Dean Elgar’s DRS saga to Sachin Tendulkar’s controversy in 2011 World Cup

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra said that Dean Elgar’s DRS saga at the Newlands reminded him of a similar incident, involving Sachin Tendulkar in the 2011 World Cup. During the third day’s play of the final Test in Cape Town, Elgar had luck in his favour after an on-field LBW call was reversed.

Ravi Ashwin had struck the batter below the knee roll, but replays showed that the ball would have gone way over the stumps. The Indians, especially skipper Virat Kohli, weren’t happy with the development. Kohli even went up to the stump mic and expressed his agony and disbelief.

Chopra, in the meantime, said that similar to Elgar even Tendulkar looked out after being hit on the pads by Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal. Ian Gould, the on-field umpire, gave Tendulkar out, but the DRS had other revelations to make during the all-important semi-final at the PCA Stadium.

I was bewildered how did it actually miss, says Aakash Chopra

“Two things here. I remember this was 2011, India vs Pakistan, semi-final game at Mohali. Saeed Ajmal is bowling, Sachin Tendulkar is batting, Ian Gould is the umpire. He gives him out. All of us thought he is dead and plumb in front.

“Then the DRS, the ball-tracking technology at that point in time somehow showed that the ball is missing the stumps. Not even kissing it. We all thought it was a miracle. Did we actually complain as much at that point in time? No, we did not,” Chopra said on Star Sports.

“We took it in the stride because it went out. Now, this is something of course in the heat of the moment you are agitated,” he stated.

“You are frustrated because even while looking at the screen, I was bewildered how did it actually miss because it looked like it was crashing onto the stumps,” Chopra added.

Elgar, during the deciding Test, couldn’t make use of the opportunity and got out to Jasprit Bumrah. This time around, Kohli and Co. used the DRS to good effect and sent Elgar back to the hut. With two days remaining in the last Test, South Africa need 111 runs to win with eight wickets in hand.