The former middle-order batter of India, Sanjay Manjrekar, has blamed the poor supply of technology for the dismissal of India’s opening batter, KL Rahul, during the opening day of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The development has occurred regarding the dismissal of visiting opener KL Rahul.
Most of the Indian batters struggled at the start against the new ball, but Rahul looked solid in his defense and kept on going with a smooth process, where he was leaving the balls outside the off-stump in a great manner. However, he was hunted by the poor technology, as Sanjay Manjrekar believed.
The Karnataka batter was batting on 26 and had been given not out by the on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough after the left-arm pace of the touring team, Mitchell Starc, seemed to find the outside edge of his blade. The entire fielding side, which went for a loud appeal, was disappointed.
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After a discussion with the wicket-keeper Alex Carey, who grabbed the catch on that delivery, the captain of the home side, Pat Cummins, showed the T-sign to go for the review. The Snicko showed a spike as the ball passed the bat, with the batter indicating that the sound had come off his bat.
Sanjay Manjrekar blames poor technology for the dismissal of KL Rahul in Perth
The third umpire, Richard Illingworth, asked the on-field umpire to reverse his decision as the right-handed batter walked off the field shaking his head after his mammoth effort of 74 balls. The wicket left India four down inside the first session of the encounter after they decided to bat first.
Sanjay Manjrekar felt that it was an example of a poor supply of technology and that the TV umpire should have avoided asking the umpire standing in the middle to overturn the decision without having any conclusive evidence.
“First of all, disappointed with what was provided to the TV umpire. He should have got more evidence. Based on just a couple of angles, I don’t think such an important decision in the match should have been made.” The former batter discussed during the lunch break on Star Sports.
“My point is, with the naked eye, there’s only one certainty, and that’s the pad being hit by the bat. It’s the only visual certainty we’ve got that with the naked eye. For everything else, you needed the aid of technology, which is Snicko.” Sanjay Manjrekar interacted.
Later the former opener of the side, Matthew Hayden, addressed that the sound might have seemed to be coming with the bat hitting the pad, it actually came on the back of the batter, getting the faintest edge on the bat.
“So ideally, if there was a bat, as an edge to the ball, there should have been an earlier spike because two events there, and the umpire heard one noise. The visual certainty was the bat hitting the pad. If that was the spike, then there wasn’t an outside edge. If we were shown two spikes, then you could say the first one was the bat. So it was a poor supply of technology to the TV umpire, and he should have said he can’t nail it.” Sanjay Manjrekar addressed on Star Sports.
The veteran felt if there were two spikes, then they should have gone with the visual evidence of the bat touching the pad. He refused to blame the on-field umpire besides feeling for KL Rahul, who did the hard work and was hunted by the poor decision.
“If there weren’t two spikes, they should have gone with the visual evidence, which was bat hitting the pad. I think it was poor all around, and I don’t blame the on-field umpire. You have to feel for KL Rahul, the amount of hard work that’s been put into opening the innings. And, such a big moment personally for him when you look at his career and for India. Travesty in a way.” Sanjay Manjrekar concluded.
The former international umpire, Simon Taufel, who was with the Channel Seven broadcast, reckoned that the ball did graze with the outside edge of Rahul, but the bat may have also hit the pad to create the confusion.
