The low standard of umpiring in India’s domestic circuit was once again out in open when Gautam Gambhir was left fuming after being wrongly given out during Delhi’s opening Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh on Monday at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.
Known for speaking his mind, Gambhir was not at all amused by the glaring umpiring error that brought an abrupt end to his innings (44 off 50) on the first day’s play after newly appointed Delhi captain Nitish Rana had no hesitation in opting to bat first.
The incident happened in the 17th over of the match when Gambhir played around an innocuous Mayank Dagar delivery, which lobbed straight into the forward short-leg fielder’s hands after hitting Gambhir’s pads. The Himachal players immediately went up in appeal and the umpire raised his finger much to the dismay of Gambhir. A visibly upset Gambhir suggested there was no contact between bat and ball and even uttered a few words before making his way to the dressing room.
Replays confirmed Gambhir’s claims. There was daylight between bat and ball. The incident once again gave rise to the need of DRS even in domestic cricket, considering the standard of umpiring.
The wicket not only brought an end to what was turning out to be a Gambhir masterclass but also brought relief to the Himachal camp. Delhi’s opening pair of Gambhir and Hiten Dalal had already put on 96 runs in just 16 overs of play.
Notably, Gambhir had decided to step down as Delhi captain despite leading the side to the finals of Vijay Hazare Trophy last month.