IND vs ENG | Twitter advises Paul Reiffel to take eye test after nonsencially ruling out stunned Jadeja
Every so often comes in elite cricket a blunder of such epically disbelieving proportions that the fraternity feels the need to thank the existence of DRS all over again. Paul Reiffel was left embarrassed in Hyderabad after giving Ravindra Jadeja LBW with replays revealing a mammoth inside edge.
India extended their dominance over England on the second day of the opening Test as half-centuries from KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja took the side well past the visitors' first innings total of 246. The lead had grown past 100 with five wickets still in hand for the Men in Blue and KS Bharat was well-set alongside the Saurashtra batter. However, Jadeja seemed to survive a scare when he was just one run short of the 50-run milestone mark but as it turned out, the only one that had any need of concern was umpire Paul Reiffel.
Joe Root had fired in a straight full delivery midway through the 81st over to the southpaw who hanged back on his backfoot and attempted to steer it towards the leg side. The shot execution did not work out as Jadeja expected and the SG thumped into his pads, apparently nailing him plumb in front of the stumps and the umpire confirmed the suspicions by raising his finger. However, as the cameras panned to Jadeja, the disbelief was writ large on his face as he took a moment to hold the umpire's gaze before aggressively signaling for a referral. The replays showed the red cherry had taken a huge chunk of the willow, so much so that it appeared less like an inside edge and more like the veteran's bat angling the ball onto his pads.
Even Reiffel could not help but break out a cheeky smile after the fiasco as the Twitterati erupted into a hail mary of relentless trolling.
What a decision!
— Glennmax (@maxglenn425) January 26, 2024
Unbelievable!
How's the umpire give that out,knocked the cover off it 😂
— Dave Gatti (@BertGatti) January 26, 2024
Just for foakes
The umpire was bound to give one out just for Foakes' appeals.
— Omkar Mankame (@Oam_16) January 26, 2024
Ohh
This Umpire has been absolutely wank
— Carney (@jcarney_96) January 26, 2024
Blind
Blind umpire ? That was a massive inside edge.
— Gagan Thakur (@gagan_gt) January 26, 2024
He was just kidding!
The umpire is just messing with Joe root at this point 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
— Odesh 🇱🇰 #TamilEelam (@daddydgea) January 26, 2024
True
This Australian umpire is in need of an urgent eye test !!!!
— Mohammed Sadiq Patel (@librajustitiae) January 26, 2024
Absolute shocker
Umpire having a shocker
— Oliver (@Olly0701) January 26, 2024
Thick
That's a thick inside edge. Due to very low visibility the umpire couldn't see it.
— kr (@Jr1420006958798) January 26, 2024
LOL
Pressure mein out de diya umpire ne, varna jadeja ke bat se hi maarte usko ab #INDvsENG
— Shreya Kale (@shreyaaakale) January 26, 2024