Ravindra Jadeja faces verbal assault for disrespecting and ignoring umpire at Lord’s

Former England captain Michael Atherton has pointed out how the umpires are slowly losing their authority on the field after the intense drama between India and England players during the third Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

The Lord’s Test was full of drama, but one of the main problems was the constant delay in play. Whether it was players taking breaks, checking the condition of the ball, or slow over-rates, the game was kept stopping again and again at Lord’s.

Michael Atherton slams umpires' lost control after Lord’s drama

Atherton highlighted one particular moment to show how serious this problem is. During the match, Ravindra Jadeja took his time having a drink even after the umpire asked him to hurry. Jadeja seemed to ignore the official completely, and that didn’t sit well with the well-known commentator.

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The Englishman believes that ever since the Decision Review System (DRS) became a part of the game, umpires have lost the power they once had. Before DRS, their word was final. But now, players question decisions more and push the limits with their behavior on the field.

Michael Atherton lashes out at Ravindra Jadeja for ignoring umpire at Lord's

Michael Atherton was quoted as saying by Sky Sports Cricket: “The focus is more on the umpires than the players, for the umpires to just get a grip. I don't know where the diminishing of umpires' authority comes from. Maybe it's the post-DRS thing. Pre-DRS, the umpires were almost omnipotent.”

Atherton added, “Since DRS, maybe that authority has just withered away. There was one point where Jaddu was having a drink, and the umpire was pointing towards the watch and was telling him to get on with it. And he just completely ignored him! So, I think there's room for the game to be sped up a bit without compromising the quality.”

Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah OUT of Manchester Test, replacement finalized

Ravindra Jadeja fought hard, but India trail 2-1 in Test series

However, it is not clear which innings Atherton referred to in his comments. Notably, Ravindra Jadeja was India’s lone fighter during the chase at Lord’s, remaining unbeaten on 61 and nearly pulling off a stunning chase against England in the third Test.

Ravindra Jadeja gave it everything in a long, determined knock, but it just wasn’t enough as India fell short by 22 runs at Lord’s. Some felt the Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could’ve taken more chances once Jasprit Bumrah got out, but he stayed calm and played at his own tempo in a high-pressure situation.

Sadly, Mohammed Siraj’s dismissal ended India’s hopes. If Siraj had stayed a little longer, the result might have gone India’s way. Now, with England ahead 2-1 in the ongoing five-match Test series, India is under pressure to bounce back in the fourth Test in Manchester.

Shubman Gill and his Indian team kicked off their preparations for the must-win fourth Test with their first training session on Thursday. They have to win the fourth Test to have any chance to script history on English soil, as India has not won a Test series there since 2007.