Joe Root was given out LBW against Axar Patel in the 15th over of the England innings, but he was controversially reprieved after reviewing the decision, with the TV umpire decreeing he had inside-edged the ball.

Axar’s arm ball had caused havoc for England already with the visitors reduced to 0-2 and 19-3 after they had run through India’s line-up early on day two of the third Test. Having taken the first three wickets to fall, Axar nearly had a fourth when another straight one hit Root on the pads. The on-field umpire upheld India’s appeal, but Root’s review took the decision upstairs.

Root’s reversed LBW …

Bat first or pad first?#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/zB5O7LHUbb

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) February 25, 2021

After looking closely at multiple replays from different angles, the umpire felt he had seen enough to judge that Root had hit the ball before it had hit his pad. However, plenty felt that the replays didn’t conclusively reveal anything. Clause 3.3.6 of Appendix D of the World Test Championship playing conditions states, “If despite the available technology, the third umpire is unable to decide with a high degree of confidence whether the original on-field decision should be changed, then he/she shall report that the replays are ‘inconclusive’, and that the on-field decision shall stand”.

There were plenty of theories over what had transpired. Some suggested it had hit the pad first, then the bat second, and then the pad once more. On commentary, Harsha Bhogle said that he felt Root was “very lucky” to survive.

The call was another in a series of marginal decisions that took a controversial turn for the hasty manner in which they were decided. England have been on the wrong side of a few of them in both this Test and the second Test of the series at Chennai.

ECB say that Joe Root and Chris Silverwood spoke with the match ref at stumps tonight, asking for “consistency in the process”

“The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires,” says ECB statement

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) February 24, 2021

On day one of the pink ball Test, Root and Stuart Broad remonstrated with umpire, Nitin Menon following a rapid decision made by the third umpire, Chettithody Shamsuddin, without multiple replays. After the decision, Root could be heard on the stump mic saying, “we just want consistency” to Menon.

The most controversial one, though, came from Anil Chaudhary in Chennai when he failed to check whether or not the ball had hit Ajinkya Rahane’s glove after a review.

Root and Chris Silverwood had met the match referee Javagal Srinath after day one’s play to raise concerns around the two decisions – the other one a marginal stumping call against Rohit Sharma that was again given not out before a closer look – that went India’s way.

“The England captain and head coach spoke with the match referee after play,” an England team spokesperson said.

“The captain and head coach acknowledged the challenges the umpires faced and asked respectfully that in making any decisions there was consistency in the process. The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires.”

Quite a few social media reactions wondered if the complaint played in Shamsuddin’s mind after he overturned the call against Root.

Massive talking point. Didn’t think it was conclusive to overturn, even if the decision was correct. How influential was yesterday’s ‘complaint’ from the England management for this decision you wonder.

— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) February 25, 2021

WHAT ON EARTH! It was clearly pad first and then the bat! #INDvsENG

— Sripad (@falsewinger) February 25, 2021

The Third Umpire was scrolling through British Twitter last night.

pad bat pad?
bat pad bat?#INDvsENG

— Ahana Alayana Randall (@AhanaRandall) February 25, 2021

Shamshuddin is on the Emirates ICC International Panel of Umpires, the rung below the Elite Panel, where the only Indian umpire is Menon.