Controversy at Kanpur as Ross Taylor survives a close call
India are on the verge of winning the first test against New Zealand at Kanpur and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. After taking a 56-run lead in the first innings, India declared their second innings when the score was 377/5 with an overall lead of 433.
Skipper Virat Kohli declared the innings moments before tea and asked the Kiwis to bat out 4 sessions to save the Test. India were off to a great start as India’s trump card R Ashwin got rid of both the openers in one over to have the visitors reeling at 3-2.
Ashwin almost had one more to his tally but umpire Richard Kettleborough refused to raise his finger for an appeal against Ross Taylor. In the tenth over of the innings, R Ashwin’s delivery pitched way outside the off stump, spun in sharply, kept low and the batsman, Taylor, got stuck in the crease and the ball hit his pad below the knee roll in front of the stumps. The bowler, wicket-keeper and the close-in fielders appealed ferociously hoping that the umpire will raise his finger.
Unfortunately, Kettleborough didn’t move an inch and gave a lifeline to the batsman. Was it out? Yes, it was. The ball spun a mile after pitching and the umpire might have felt that ball might go on to miss the leg stump, but the replays suggested that the ball was going on to hit the stumps.
The umpire cannot be blamed for this as he doesn’t have the luxury of taking a look at the replays before coming to a decision. Ashwin needed just one wicket to reach 200 Test wickets and it looked like Ashwin had his 200th dismissal in the form of Taylor. But, Kettleborough’s decision delayed the inevitable as Ashwin trapped Kane Williamson in front of the stumps to reach the milestone.
At the moment, New Zealand are reeling at 56-4 after Umesh Yadav’s direct throw from the deep found Ross Taylor short of the crease at the non-striker’s end.