On the 3rd day of Third Test match between India and New Zealand, Rishabh Pants‘s download caused significant controversy, drawing attention from South Africa the cricket legend AB de Villiers. He expressed his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), questioning the decision and the technology used in the game.
Rishabh Pant’s controversial box on day 3 of the third Test
Pant was dismissed in the 22nd over of India’s second innings, a pivotal moment as the team chased down a competitive target. Ajaz Patel hit Pant, who tried to pull away from the pitch but was caught by the keeper Tom Blundell. Patel and the New Zealand team broke into a celebratory chant, but the on-field umpire Richard Illingworth initially remained unmoved. New Zealand captain Tom Latham then called for a review and UltraEdge detected a faint pop as the ball went past Pant’s bat. However, it was unclear whether this noise resulted from the ball making contact with the bat or the bat hitting Pant’s pad.
The third referee, Paul Reiffelconsidered multiple angles and eventually overturned the initial no-out decision, ruling Pant out. Despite objections and obvious disappointment, Pant had to accept the decision and walk off the field, ending his innings on a high note with a quick 64 off 57 balls, including 9 fours and a six.
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AB de Villiers weighs in on the controversial call
After the game, de Villiers took to X to express his thoughts on Pant’s dismissal, raising concerns about the decision-making process and the reliability of the UltraEdge technology in such situations.
“Controversy! A small gray area again. Did Pant get it for that or not? The problem is when the ball goes past the bat at the exact same time a shot hits his pad the snicko will pick up the noise. But how sure are we that he hit her? I’ve always worried about that and here it happens at a big moment in a big Test match. Where is the hotspot?!” de Villiers wrote to X.
Controversy! A small gray area again. Did Pant get it for that or not? The problem is when the ball goes past the bat at the exact same time a shot hits his pad the snicko will pick up the noise. But how sure are we that he hit her? I have always worried about this and here it is in a…
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) November 3, 2024
India falls short of the target
New Zealand set India a target of 147 in this final Test, but India struggled in their chase. Despite Pant’s aggressive batting, the team was bowled out for 121, falling short by 25 runs and giving the series to New Zealand with a clean 3-0 sweep. Pant’s dismissal, which came at a critical moment, played a significant role in the outcome of the match, with fans and pundits debating whether the decision was right.
