‘Andha hai kya?’ – Fans bash third umpire for Hardik Pandya’s controversial dismissal in first ODI against New Zealand

India’s first ODI against New Zealand has seen an excellent batting display by star batter Shubman Gill. At the same time, it has also seen a major controversy with the dismissal of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. The decision to rule the batter out stirred up a lot of bashing from the fans on the internet.

The on-field umpires referred to a bowled decision to see if the bails had fallen through the gloves of wicketkeeper Tom Latham. The ball had passed the stumps, and the keeper’s gloves had flicked the bails just before they fell. Despite the conclusive evidence, the Umpire ruled Hardik Pandya out. The decision to rule him out at a very crucial stage enraged everyone.

Even the commentator Ravi Shastri was unhappy with the decision. He later reviewed the footage of the dismissal frame by frame and adjudged that the batter was indeed not-out. Finally, none of it mattered because the star player had to return to the dressing room.

In the meantime, fans were outraged by the decision. Some fans took to Twitter to point out that the ball had fallen in front of the stumps after being broken by the gloves. Had the ball hit the stumps, the bails would have fallen behind.

On the other hand, some fans suggested that the third umpire should be penalized for his poor judgement. “The umpire should be penalized for his shocking decision. How come that is out?” questioned a user on Twitter.

As for the rest of the game, opening batter Gill was the most effective batter for the Men in Blue. In the first match, he scored a brilliant double-century, propelling the team to a strong position. He played an excellent knock of 208 runs in 149 balls to help the team to a massive total of 349 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the first innings.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Hardik Pandya’s controversial dismissal