Mark Waugh has called the lbw decision given against Adam Gilchrist in the first innings of the 2001 Kolkata Test between India and Australia “the worst of all time”.
The wicket came in the middle of a hat-trick by Harbhajan Singh, the first in Test cricket by an Indian, and helped India complete one of cricket’s most unlikely and famous comebacks. The off-spinner’s three-wicket burst pulled Australia back from 252-4 to 252-7, and though a century from Steve Waugh helped Australia pile on 445, there were many twists left to come.
After being asked to follow on having conceded a first-innings lead of 274, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid put on an extraordinary 376 for the fifth wicket, with the former’s 281 rated as one of the great Test innings. Then, having set Australia 384 to win with over two sessions to bat, Harbhajan’s 6-73 helped secure a 171-run win.
Waugh, dismissed for 22 by the twirler earlier in the same innings, replied to a tweet by ESPNcricinfo assistant editor Dan Brettig which called into doubt the validity of Gilchrist’s dismissal. “Miles outside leg and he hit it”, he tweeted, quote tweeting a post by Wisden India which asked fans to recall where they were when Harbhajan claimed his famous hat-trick.
Waugh called the lbw decision against Gilchrist “about the worst of all time”. “I’ve had plenty of poor decisions and seen plenty of poor ones buy [sic] Gilly’s would have to be about the worst of all time,” he tweeted.
India won a thrilling third Test by two wickets to seal a 2-1 win in what is regarded as one of the best Test series of all time.
I’ve had plenty of poor decisions and seen plenty of poor ones buy GILLY’s would have to be about the worst of all time.
— Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) May 2, 2020
