England left ‘frustrated’ with TV official for not ‘checking reviews more thoroughly’ in India Test

England were left ‘frustrated’ by umpiring decisions as their hopes of winning in India took a nosedive on the first day of the third Test at Ahmedabad.

The tourists’ mood was already dark after they were skittled for 112, as left-arm spinner Axar Patel took six for 38 with the pink ball.

But Joe Root then became involved in animated discussions with the umpires after TV official Chettithody Shamshuddin twice rushed decisions – both in India’s favour. Later, Root and head coach Chris Silverwood aired their grievances to match referee Javagal Srinath.

Joe Root confronted umpires asking for consistency when a review decision was rushed

India closed on 99 for three after the late wicket of captain Virat Kohli, and are well placed to take a 2-1 lead into next week’s series finale.

But England were unhappy about the speed with which Shamshuddin decided Ben Stokes had grassed a chance at slip when Indian opener Shubman Gill had yet to score.

And Root could be seen asking on-field umpires Anil Chaudhary and Nitin Menon for ‘consistency’ after Shamshuddin needed little time to rule Rohit Sharma not out as England appealed for a stumping by Ben Foakes off the bowling of Jack Leach.

If the first decision almost certainly proved correct, with Stokes appearing to drag the ball along the ground, then the second needed more than cursory attention – not least because Sharma’s back foot momentarily left the ground as he lost his balance.

Ben Stokes grassed a catch, but England were surprised with how quick the decisions was

Earlier, Leach himself had rightly been given out caught low down in the gully by Cheteshwar Pujara – but only after Shamshuddin considered several replays and angles.

‘It’s very frustrating,’ said Zak Crawley, who marked his return from injury with a fluent half-century. ‘We’re behind the game, so we need those 50-50s to go our way, and it seemed like none of those went our way today.

‘When we batted, Jack Leach had a similar one where it didn’t quite carry. It seemed like they looked at it from five or six different angles. When we were fielding they looked at it from one angle.

‘That’s probably where the frustrations lie. I can’t say whether they were out or not out. But I think the frustrations lie with not checking more thoroughly.’

TV umpire also went in India’s favour when reviewing a close stumping call of Rohit Sharma

An ECB spokesman added: ‘The England captain and head coach spoke with the match referee after play. They 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.’

England’s irritation follows an erratic performance as TV umpire from Chaudhary in Chennai, where he erroneously reprieved Ajinkya Rahane. On that occasion, Srinath reinstated the review Root’s team had wrongly lost.

It is not the first time England have been unimpressed with Shamshuddin, who excused himself from on-field duties ahead of a T20 game in Bangalore in February 2017 after a series of blunders in the previous match. They included giving Root out lbw after a thick edge in the last over of a game England lost by five runs.

They may be heading for defeat here, too, though Crawley insisted: ‘The game’s nowhere near over. We could bowl them out for late 100s, early 200s. Any sort of lead on that pitch and we’ve got a chance in the fourth innings.’ 

Zak Crawley (L) admitted to being frustrated at the TV umpire not checking reviews thoroughly