'Whenever India bowls, Reiffel feels it's not out. Whenever India bats, he feels it's out.'
The gripping third Test at Lord's may have ended in a nail-biting 22-run win for England, but it was the umpiring -- not the cricket -- that stole the spotlight.
A series of contentious decisions, particularly involving Australian Umpire Paul Reiffel, has triggered outrage from players, pundits, and fans alike, casting a shadow over what was otherwise a classic Test match.
From questionable LBW verdicts to shaky caught-behind calls, frustration mounted as the game wore on. Reiffel, already under scrutiny from Day 4, faced renewed criticism on the final day, with multiple calls going against India at key moments.
One such flashpoint came with K L Rahul's dismissal. Initially adjudged not out after being struck on the pad by Ben Stokes, England reviewed -- and the DRS overturned the call, showing the ball crashing into middle stump. But Sunil Gavaskar wasn't buying it.
'The ball didn't bounce as much as others,' he said on air, expressing doubt over the ball-tracking technology. 'When India bowled, the same deliveries were going over the stumps.'
Rahul's was far from the only disputed decision. Reiffel had earlier given Shubman Gill out caught behind off a delivery that missed the bat by a margin big enough for Ravichandran Ashwin to joke, 'I could park my car through that gap.'
The decision was overturned, but Gill's rhythm was broken -- and he fell soon after.
Ashwin didn't hold back in his criticism of Reiffel on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat. 'Whenever India bowls, Reiffel feels it's not out. Whenever India bats, he feels it's out,' he said.
'If it's happening repeatedly to one team, the ICC needs to step in.'
India's mounting frustration boiled over during Mohammed Siraj's LBW appeal against Joe Root -- turned down despite replays showing the ball clipping leg stump. Anil Kumble voiced his dismay from the commentary box: 'It seems Paul Reiffel has decided nothing is out.'
Adding to the mess was Umpire Sharfuddoula from Bangladesh, who had four of his decisions overturned via DRS -- all involving Indian batters. Akash Deep was twice given out LBW in a single over, only for the replays to prove otherwise.
In all, 11 reviews were taken against Reiffel during the Test, nine by India. Four were overturned in their favour. The stats painted a grim picture: Two key calls went England's way (including Root's LBW reprieve and Stokes' on Day 1), only one went India’s way (a not out call for an lbw against Akash Deep) -- and several near-misses left the team visibly rattled.
The controversies didn't end there. Umpires also came under fire for repeated ball changes that disrupted the flow of play. England and India both expressed concerns about replacement balls failing the ring test.
'Basic common sense was missing,' Ravi Shastri said. 'What's the point of a ball box if half the balls don't pass the test?' Shubman Gill was seen in a heated conversation with the umpires after one such delay.
The combination of inconsistent decision-making, technological uncertainty, and procedural hiccups has sparked calls for accountability.
Ashwin summed up the general sentiment: 'This isn't about one or two bad calls. It's a pattern -- and when that pattern consistently affects one team, something is seriously wrong.'
As the series heads to Manchester, the pressure is no longer just on the players.
All eyes will now be on the men in the middle -- not just for their decisions, but for their ability to rise above the criticism and uphold the integrity of the game.
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