The third and final Women’s ODI match between India and Bangladesh delivered a captivating tie at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday (July 22). However, the game was marred by a series of contentious umpiring decisions, with the Women in Blue feeling hard done by several calls.
During the intense match, India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed her frustration after being given out LBW by the umpire. She hit the stumps with her bat and gestured towards the official, indicating that she had made contact with the ball.
After the game, Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana faced a barrage of questions regarding Harmanpreet’s behavior and her fiery remarks about the umpiring throughout the series. Mandhana, known for her assertiveness, did not hold back in her response to the reporter’s query.
“What did you think?” Mandhana shot back, clearly showing her displeasure with the line of questioning.
“In any match, sometimes it happens that you are not really happy with the kind of… especially when there is no Decision Review System (DRS) in the series this time,” she added, highlighting the absence of a review system that could have rectified some contentious decisions.
“We expect a little better level – I would term it in a better way that, a better level of umpiring in terms of some decisions because it was very evident in some cases. There was not even a second thought given if the ball hit the pad. Not even one-second thought was given, and the finger went up,” Mandhana elaborated, carefully tempering her response with a more balanced tone.
Mandhana’s candid remarks shed light on the frustration felt by the Indian team over the umpiring decisions in the absence of the DRS, which is designed to assist in reviewing argumentative calls. While she expressed her disappointment, the vice-captain maintained composure and professionalism in her statement.
