Virat Kohli’s dismissal on Friday, when he was given out in a close bat-pad call, has led to plenty of debate, with social media divided over the third umpire’s decision. Commentator Simon Doull, however, remains adamant that the right decision was made, and, clarified his stance in an exchange with Shane Warne.

Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the Mumbai Test match against New Zealand after the ball struck him plumb on the pad on Friday. Though the bat appeared close to the pad, the on-field umpire deemed it pad first before raising his finger. Kohli, however, went up to review, but with the third umpire finding inconclusive evidence to overturn the decision, the India skipper had to walk back without opening his account.

The decision divided experts, with some of the view that the ball had deviated off Kohli’s bat to hit his pad. Shane Warne remained critical of the third umpire’s decision, taking to Twitter to suggest that interpreting technology correctly will help in eradicating wrong decisions in cricket.

However, Doull, who had voiced his opinion on Friday during the session break on Star Sports that it was a case of pad-bat-pad, replied to Warne by saying that using images to suit the narrative should not be encouraged. “It’s a clear indication of find the pictures to suit your narrative is all that is. In the side view the bat has not reached the ball by the time the ball reaches the pad so there for its safe to say hitting the pad first as its directly in the same line did happen first. #simple.”

Doull continued to make his case in replies to several other Twitter users, including one who suggested Doull was simply replying to suit his narrative.

“I am replying to say the umpire had no choice but to uphold the on field decision is all I am saying,” Doull said. “No choice at all. The process was followed to the Law and the result remains.”

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India Simon DoullShane WarneVirat KohliSeries Editorial