An important match like this needed better calls by the umpire to prevent any unwanted rumors.
On paper, India and Japan made history with their one-off cricket match. For the fans and audience in particular, it was a great way to bond over a sport that is still relatively new for Japan. They did everything they could to make the experience better for the viewers. In fact, the organizers went as far as handing out flyers for the audience that were unfamiliar with cricket. The people who painstakingly came to the stadium could rely on the same to get a brief idea about cricket and enjoy the game.
While this was happening, the game also faced some major setbacks. For starters, it was delayed for hours, and later on only 5 overs were conducted for each innings. It wasn’t the outcome that the excited viewers were hoping for, to say nothing. While this was an unprecedented issue due to natural and logistical reasons, there was something far more concerning going on that threatened to disrupt the sanctity of the game.
Umpiring mistakes at this level only create ambiguity and rumors about dishonesty
In cricket, the umpires are the judge and jury. They are expected to solve every problem and allocate the results fairly during the entire duration of the match. Every time they make a mistake or change their judgement call, the audience raises eyebrows over the unpredictability of the decision.
Something the same is happening after the match between India and Japan was completed. The umpiring throughout the match was simply not up to par. As such, Indian Sports Network has highlighted some issues during the match on their X handle.
“Very poor umpiring in the India vs Japan match nearly cost India the game.
- Sanju Samson hit a brilliant shot that went beyond the boundary, but the umpire awarded only 4 runs instead of 6.
- During Japan’s innings, a brilliant direct hit caught the batter well short of the crease, but the umpire did not give it out.
- Sanju Samson and Ravi Bishnoi were visibly angry with the umpire’s decisions.
- Overall, some very poor umpiring decisions in the match.”
The biggest controversy arose during the final over. On the third ball of the fifth over, Axar Patel’s delivery was deemed wide. But, after consulting the Indian skipper, the umpire overturned his decision. The ruling here is based on the actions of the batsman. Shirai-Patmore tried to go for a reverse sweep, which ultimately rules the delivery as fair.
It may or may not have had a major impact on the result of the game, but it does create an impact on the international audience. Multiple cricket fans are accusing the Indian outfit of ‘match fixing’ and trying to strong-arm the decisions against Japan.
