India Women left Bangladesh on a bitter note after a string of controversial events that took place during and after the third ODI, at Mirpur.
After winning the T20Is 2-1, India Women went 1-0 up in the ODIs, but Bangladesh Women came back strongly, winning the second ODI, before the third match ended in a tie.
The day began with Fargana Hoque becoming the first Bangladeshi to a hundred (107) in women’s ODIs. India became 32-2 before Smriti Mandhana (59) and Harleen Deol (77) added 107.
The score was 160-3 when Nahida Akter (3-37) trapped Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur leg-before. Unhappy with the decision, Kaur smashed the stumps before leaving.
India managed to reach 216-6 before losing their last four wickets for nine runs as Bangladesh squared the series. There was no Super Over, as the match had already run out of stipulated time.
Kaur was not the only Indian batter to be unhappy after being given out. Yastika Bhatia was not convinced after Sultana Khatun trapped her leg-before, while No.11 Meghna Singh seemed convinced that she had not edged the ball from Marufa Akter when she was given out caught behind.
Kaur did not hold back at the post-match presentation: “The type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised. The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we’ll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly, we’ll have to prepare ourselves.”
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Kaur had shouted “bring the umpires too” when the cricketers from both sides had been lining up for the traditional end-of-series photograph. She had hinted at the umpires being part of the Bangladesh team.
At this, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty walked off with her team. She did not mince her words either: “It is totally her [Kaur’s] problem. I have nothing to do with it. As a player, she could have shown better manners. I can’t tell you what happened, but it didn’t feel right to be there with my team. It wasn’t the right environment. That’s why we went back. Cricket is a game of discipline and respect.
“The umpires [Muhammad Kamruzzaman and Tanvir Ahmed] wouldn’t give her out if she wasn’t out … We have respected their decisions. The umpire’s decision is the final decision, whether I like it or not. Why didn’t we behave in that way?”
When asked for her opinion on the subject, Smriti Mandhana voiced her dissatisfaction about the umpiring: “We expect a little better level. I would term it in a better way that, better level of umpiring in terms of some decisions, because it was very evident in some decisions, there was not even a second thought given if the ball hit the pad. Not even one-second thought was given and the finger went up.
“I am sure that ICC, the BCB and the BCCI will definitely have a discussion on that, maybe we have a neutral umpiring system.
When asked about Kaur’s action, Mandhana said: “What happened in the middle is part and parcel of the game. We have seen these incidents so much in the past in men’s cricket.
“When you play for India, you want to win the match. It happens in the heat of the moment, but I think she was not really happy with the decision given. She was given out and she felt that she was not out.
“When you want to win so badly, I think the spirit of the game and all those things, definitely we can talk about later. But knowing Harman as a person, knowing how much she wants to win for India, from the spirit of the game that it is [wrong]. But yeah, when you really want that ‘W’ on the board for India, these things happen.”
Section 2.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct classifies “public criticism” or “inappropriate comment” about “an incident occurring in an international match” of match official as a Level 2 offence. Section 2.8 puts “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision” as the same.
If charged with a Level 2 offence, Kaur will be either fined 50 to 100 percent of her match fee and given one demerit point, or given two demerit points.
Of course, India-Bangladesh matches have never been short on controversies…
