‘What was the thinking?’ – India burn bizarre DRS lbw review against down-the-track Ollie Pope

India were left embarrassed after a review for an lbw turned out to be hopelessly inaccurate call, leaving them one referral less in the final session on the third day of the India-England Hyderabad Test.

After India’s bowlers dominated the second session, Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes arrested the slide, clearing up the deficit right after the tea break. India’s eagerness to claim a breakthrough became obvious when they decided to ring up the third umpire for a leg-before appeal that proved to be unnecessary.

Off the fifth ball of the 47th over, Ollie Pope tried to charge at an Axar Patel delivery, attempting to play it down the leg side, but it bounced and hit him on the pad, trickling towards the slips.

“That wasn’t a review, that was an indulgence”

In a surprising move, India opted to take the review, despite it appearing to the naked eye that the ball didn’t hit in line. Replays confirmed that the impact was outside the off stump as well as beyond the three-metre limit. It isn’t immediately clear who prompted the review, but KS Bharat and Rohit Sharma were seen having a discussion before the decision was made.

What was the thinking behind the review from India 😭 #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/zkmdbourTZ

— IT (@ishi897) January 27, 2024

On commentary, Harsha Bhogle remarked at the mysterious call. “You’ve got to wonder what the thinking was behind that review. Who said, ‘yes maybe’?”

He added that “Those who decided that a review had to be taken should get a five review ban”, capping it off with the one-liner: “That wasn’t a review, that was an indulgence”.

It was India’s first unsuccessful review in the innings. Earlier, Ben Duckett survived a close call against Jasprit Bumrah after being pinged on his pads by a sharply moving delivery. Rohit Sharma and Bharat combined to decide not to take a review, with replays later showing the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps, much to Bumrah’s dismay.

Lucky Duckett.

– He was plumb but India didint took the review. pic.twitter.com/x00Y8xAUD0

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 27, 2024

It didn’t matter, for Bumrah had Duckett his very next over courtesy of another fine inswinger.

On day one, England invited flak for burning all three reviews within the first hour of India’s batting, leaving them with no provision to refer to the third umpire, as India went on to score 436.