(Image source from: Twitter.com/BCCI)
Former England cricketer and well-known commentator Michael Atherton remarked that Ravindra Jadeja entirely disregarded one of the umpires when requested to speed up his drinks break during the Lord’s Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Atherton pointed this out as an illustration of what he believed to be a decline in the umpires' ability to manage several intense moments throughout the game. From Shubman Gill gesturing and confrontations with English players, to Zak Crawley and Akash Deep’s suspected fake injuries to kill time and their physical confrontations with various bowlers and batsmen, the Test was filled with tension. The issues surrounding the condition of the Duke’s ball and a few real mistakes made by umpires on certain decisions added to the chaos. “The attention has shifted more to the umpires rather than the players, and the umpires need to take control. I’m not quite sure why the authority of umpires has declined. Perhaps it’s because of the post-DRS situation,” Atherton shared with Sky Sports Cricket, referring to the Decision Review System.
Since DRS became widely used in the early 2010s, players have been able to contest the umpire's calls on LBW and catches. In T20 leagues like the IPL, this has also expanded to include wides and no-balls. Although DRS has improved fairness in the game through technology and has helped reduce human error, Atherton believes the sport needs to address this issue to make it faster. “Before DRS, umpires had almost unlimited power. Since DRS, that power may have faded. There was a moment when Jadeja was having a drink, and the umpire was looking at his watch, telling him to hurry. And he completely ignored him! So I think there’s a chance for the game to be played faster, without losing its quality,” he mentioned.
England triumphed in the Lord’s Test on the last day.They now lead the series 2-1. Given the events so far, the heated feelings from Lord’s will likely carry over to Manchester when the Old Trafford stadium hosts the fourth Test starting on July 23.
