Huge DRS controversy in Vizag Test! England's Tom Hartley declared not-out despite ball-tracking showing umpire's call

India are on the verge of winning the second Test match against England on Day 4 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. England needed 332 runs to win on Day 4 and 5 whereas, India needed 9 more wickets. The visitors have already lost eight wickets for 275 runs and the Indian team is just two steps away from levelling the series. 

England lost their seventh wicket for 220 runs in the form of captain Ben Stokes. The win did look easy for India at that stage as the hosts were just 3 wickets behind the win. However, Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley had different plans and they added 55 runs for 74 balls for the eighth wicket. The partnership was looking dangerous and the Indian team was in desperate need of a wicket.

Why did the umpire give Tom Hartley not out in India vs England 2nd Test?

On the 5th ball of the 63rd over, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a carrom ball on which Tom Hartley was trying to play a reverse sweep. The ball went up in the air and was caught by captain Rohit Sharma in the slips. The whole Indian team appealed and it was given out by the umpire.

However, Tom Hartley reviewed the decision and sent it upstairs. In the replay, it was found that the ball had hit the arm of Hartley after which the ball went up in the air. While the catch decision was overturned, the umpire checked if the batsman was LBW. The impact and the contact of the ball with the wickets was the umpire’s call after which the the Hartley was given not out.

The whole Indian team argued with the umpire after which they were clarified that the umpire had given the batsman out for the catch, which was overturned, whereas, as the LBW was the umpire’s call, the batsman was adjudged not out. Notably, the on-field umpire conveyed that he didn’t give out for the LBW, which is why the batter survived despite the ball attacking showing the umpire’s call.

It was Jasprit Bumrah, who provided the Indian cricket team with the most needed breakthrough. Bumrah set up Ben Foakes brilliantly with the slower ball and got him out for 36 runs. Soon after the departure of Faokes, Shoaib Bashir also didn’t last long and was removed by Mukesh Kumar for a duck. The Indian team is just one wicket behind from victory.

Nightwatchman Rehan Ahmed played well during his stay at the crease and scored 23 runs from 31 balls. Rehan was dismissed by Axar Patel which was India’s first breakthrough of the day. Ollie Pope was the next to depart for 23 runs from 21 balls and fell against Ravichandran Ashwin. Zak Crawley played well for his 73 runs but was caught in front by Kuldeep Yadav.

Joe Root and Ben Stokes as well were not able to do much and walked back after scoring 16 and 11 runs respectively. Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley showed some fight but at last, the Indian bowlers proved to be more handy for England.

The Indian cricket team will be leveling the series after winning the second Test match and also recovering the damage they faced after losing the first match of the series.