Watch: Back in 1999, Sachin Tendulkar was bizarrely adjudged leg before wicket (LBW), despite a Glenn McGrath delivery hitting him near the left shoulder. Daryl Harper – the umpire in question, took his time before ultimately raising his finger.
The incident occurred in the fourth innings of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. Earlier, Australia had won the toss and had amassed 441 in the first innings. In reply, India were bundled out for 285, with Sachin (61) and Sourav Ganguly (60) being their top scorers. Australia surged further ahead in the second innings and ransacked 239 runs, leaving India with a target of 396 to chase.
Thus, when India were tottering at 27-3, having lost Devang Gandhi, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, they were under tremendous pressure. The entire nation was hoping for a Tendulkar masterclass to dig them out of trouble. In response, Australia decided to use the short-ball ploy and prize out the India captain.
At that stage, Tendulkar had only faced a handful of deliveries. Before the over began, Australia placed a leg gully, a short leg, and hinted that McGrath was going to bowl short. The quick banged the ball in short too but it kept low, hitting Tendulkar near the left armpit and the hosts went up in appeal. The umpire brooded over the decision and eventually decided in Australia’s favour. India could never recover and lost that game and the series by a significant margin.
Over the course of his career, Sachin endured several questionable calls. However, this decision arguably sits at the top as one that left countless people scratching their heads. To his credit, though, he didn’t react to most of them and always accepted each decision as it came.
