Controversial Umpiring Decisions Overshadow Thrilling Tie in Women’s ODI Match between India and Bangladesh

The third and final Women’s ODI match between India and Bangladesh ended in a thrilling tie at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday (July 22). However, the game was marred by a series of contentious umpiring decisions, leaving the Indian team feeling aggrieved.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s Frustration Evident

India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed her frustration after being given out LBW by the umpire. She gestured towards the official, indicating that she had made contact with the ball, and even hit the stumps with her bat.

Smriti Mandhana Responds Assertively to Questions

After the match, Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana faced numerous questions about Harmanpreet’s behavior and her fiery remarks about the umpiring throughout the series. Mandhana, known for her assertiveness, didn’t hold back in her response.

When asked about the incident, Mandhana replied, “What did you think?”, clearly showing her displeasure with the line of questioning.

Absence of Decision Review System (DRS)

Mandhana highlighted the absence of the Decision Review System (DRS) in the series, which could have rectified some of the contentious decisions. She expressed her disappointment, stating, “In any match, sometimes it happens that you are not really happy with the kind of… especially when there is no DRS in the series this time.”

Expectations of Better Umpiring

Mandhana further elaborated, “We expect a little better level – I would term it in a better way that, a better level of umpiring in terms of some decisions because it was very evident in some cases. There was not even a second thought given if the ball hit the pad. Not even one-second thought was given, and the finger went up.” She carefully tempered her response with a more balanced tone.

Indian Team’s Frustration and Professionalism

Mandhana’s candid remarks shed light on the frustration felt by the Indian team over the umpiring decisions in the absence of the DRS. Despite expressing disappointment, the vice-captain maintained composure and professionalism in her statement.

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Xtra company.