England captain Joe Root on Wednesday urged umpires to be more consistent with decisions after a tough opening day of the crucial day-night third Test against India.
The tourists were bowled out for 112 after electing to bat first at the world’s biggest stadium in Ahmedabad with Indian spinner Axar Patel taking six wickets. India ended the day on 99/3.
But it were two calls by TV umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin that left England fuming and Root had a long conversation with the on-field umpire on both occasions.
Root was overheard on the stump microphones telling the on-field officials “all we want is consistency”.
“The England captain and head coach (Chris Silverwood) spoke with the match referee (India’s Javagal Srinath) after play,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman.
“The captain and head coach acknowledged the challenges the umpires faced and asked respectfully that in making any decisions there was consistency in the process. The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires.”
Shubman Gill survived after Ben Stokes took his catch at second slip which the TV umpire turned down quickly with replays suggesting the ball had been grassed.
Later in the day Rohit Sharma’s stumping was adjudged not out after the batsman’s back foot was in the air and grounded in one frame when wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took off the bails. He was on 53 and remained unbeaten on 57 at stumps.
Zak Crawley, who top-scored for England with 53, said the decisions left them frustrated.
“It’s very frustrating. We’re behind the game and we need those little 50-50s to go our way. It seemed like none of them went our way today,” he said.
“When we batted Jack (Leach) had one where it didn’t quite carry and it seemed like they looked at it from five or six different angles. When we were fielding it seemed like they looked at it from one angle. That’s where the frustrations lie.”
England won the first of the four Tests convincingly only to lose the next with Virat Kohli’s India levelling the series at 1-1.