3rd Umpire Prompted Review in Controversial Jadeja Run-Out: Report

According to reports, the third umpire asked on-field umpire to refer it “upstairs” as the decision was “tight”.

Ravindra Jadeja scored 21 off as many deliveries before he was run-out in the controversial fashion.

(Photo: AP)

After the first ODI between India and West Indies, skipper Virat Kohli had said he was miffed with on-field umpire Shaun George's late run-out call involving all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Kohli felt George changed his original not out decision only after the West Indies players, prompted by "people sitting outside" appealed to him to review the incident.

However, it has now come to fore that third umpire Rod Tucker had told George to refer the decision "upstairs".

According to ESPNcricinfo, immediately after George had turned down the initial run-out appeal, Rod Tucker asked him, via the radio to refer it “upstairs” as the decision was “tight”.

The report stated that all this took place at the same time when replays of the incident were broadcast on TV. Tucker, after seeing the replays, decided to intervene and told George to refer it to the third umpire. Tucker then relayed to George that Jadeja was indeed short of his crease.

The incident took place in the 48th over of India's innings, when Jadeja went for a quick single but the fielder effected a direct hit at the striker's end. On-field umpire George did not give him out even though Jadeja was short of the crease as replays would later show.

“I have never seen this in cricket. I don’t know where the rules are. The referee and the umpire has to take it up and decide. The people sitting outside the field shouldn’t dictate what happens on the field and that’s exactly what happened there.”

Virat Kohli, India skipper

"We would have got 15-20 runs more had something not happened out there. The fielder asked about the run-out and the umpire said not out. This dismissals end there. The people sitting outside cannot tell the fielder and they can't ask the umpire about reviewing the run out," Kohli said at the post match presentation on Sunday after India the match by eight wickets to hand West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

However, West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard said that the right decision was taken. "At the end of the day, the right decision was made and that's the most important thing for me," he said.