IND vs ENG, Hopefully, We'll Get Rid Of Umpiring Errors: Jack Leach On Ajinkya Rahane Review

England spinner Jack Leach said on Saturday that he would have liked to get India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane's wicket, which was not given out due to a third umpire error on the first day of the second Test here.

Third umpire Anil Chaudhary missed out on checking if the ball had grazed Rahane's gloves before being caught by Ollie Pope at short leg.

"It was obviously a mistake and these things happen. Obviously, it would have been nice to get Rahane's wicket but it didn't cost us much. Pleased that he got out (in the next over)," said Leach in a virtual media interaction after the day's play at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

The second ball of the 75th over, bowled by Leach, looped off Rahane's thigh pad and Pope took a comfortable catch. England reviewed the on-field umpire's decision of not out and the ultra edge showed a flat line as the ball crossed the bat and hit the pad.

Third umpire Chaudhary then decided to go for the leg before the wicket (LBW) decision without checking if the ball had touched Rahane's glove. Replays showed that it had and England was reinstated the review later.

Rahane was dismissed in the next over by off-spinner Moeen Ali for 67, after adding two more runs to his total.

Leach compared the Decision Review System (DRS) to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football, which has come under significant criticism this season in England's Premier League from players, managers and pundits.

 

"It has been like VAR, still controversial. Even though you've got the video stuff. It is what it is. Hopefully, we can rid of those [mistakes]," said Leach.

"The LBW came up. But we said to check the other one. That was it. I got the impression they checked it. We got the wicket [Rahane] next over and the 12th man came out and said that [the previous one] was out," he said.

Leach said that England getting the review back was positive.

"There is nothing I can do. At that time I was angry but getting the wicket the next over, kind of makes it a bit easier. Didn't cost us much. We also got our review back which is also important," he said.

The Rahane incident was only one of two controversial decisions from the third umpire, the other being Rohit Sharma's stumping.

Leach was the bowler once again and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was quick to take off the bails after the delivery beat Rohit's outside edge. The replays did not clearly show if Rohit had got his foot inside the crease and the third umpire gave it not out.

"Well, Ben [Foakes] didn't say it was definitely out. He was sure that one we saw, it was touch and go, I felt it didn't go our way. But the other one would have been nice [Rahane]. I am probably the wrong person to ask [whether he was out or not]. I would love it to be out. I felt watching from behind that he might be given out but from side-on, it is hard to tell because we can see it only on the big screen. I wouldn't want to comment," said Leach.

Leach also said that it felt nice to silence the crowd at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium by dismissing Indian captain Virat Kohli for a duck. Moeen Ali bowled through Kohli's attempted to drive after the latter had faced just five deliveries.

"It was great to see Moeen do that. It was world-class delivery. The ground went silent which is nice to do here. My first experience of the Indian crowd. There was noise when [Kohli] came to the wicket but they went very quiet when he got out," said Leach.