Controversy: Was the right replay shown to decide Tendulkar’s dismissal against Chargers?
Was the wrong footage used in Sunday’s game between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers that ended in the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar? It would seem so.
Let’s go back and look at the sequence of what exactly happened. When Tendulkar lofted Amit Mishra into the hands of long-on, the on-field umpire called on the third umpire to check whether the bowler had overstepped. This is what I observed. The first replay shown was from the stump camera. From there it wasn’t clear whether Mishra had overstepped as his foot seemed on the line. The second replay they showed was from midwicket. From that angle it looked as if his foot was on the line and there wasn’t anything behind the line. A third angle, from the covers, was considered. However, in this replay you can see Tendulkar standing in the background! My question is: How can a batsman who has faced the delivery be standing at the non-striker’s end?! More importantly, in that particular replay Amit Mishra was comfortably within the limits and hadn’t overstepped. The third umpire ruled the delivery as legal on the basis of the third replay.
Tendulkar lofts the ball towards long-off and is caught by Dale Steyn. The replays are called for. The first replay from the stump camera is inconclusive if the bowler overstepped. The second replay from midwicket suggests that the bowler’s foot is on the line and not behind the line. You can hear commentator Pommie Mbangwa surprised and saying, “Ohh, hold on...” From a third angle it’s evident that its not a no-ball looked, but what you can clearly see Tendulkar at the non- striker’s end (see photo) and not Ambati Rayadu!
