Day 1 of the fifth and final Test between India and England at The Oval saw high drama, with umpire Kumar Dharmasena at the center of controversy. In the 13th over, Josh Tongue delivered a sharp inswinging yorker to Sai Sudharsan, who was caught off-balance. As the ball struck his pad, England players appealed for LBW, but Dharmasena denied it, signaling an inside edge with his finger.
This subtle gesture from Dharmasena convinced England not to review the decision. Replays later confirmed that there indeed was an inside edge, validating the call but raising questions about the umpire’s conduct.
Sanjay Bangar criticizes the gesture
Former India coach Sanjay Bangar, while analyzing the moment on Star Sports, expressed his disappointment with Dharmasena’s hand signal. He argued that umpires should avoid offering such visual cues, especially in the DRS era.
“These habits are hard to unlearn,” said Bangar. “Earlier, umpires used to gesture instinctively because there was no DRS. But now it’s not ideal, as it could influence the fielding team’s decision-making.”
Indian umpire backs Dharmasena
In contrast, Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary came to Dharmasena’s defense. He explained that such gestures often happen unintentionally in the flow of the game and emphasized that no umpire at the international level would do it on purpose.
“It happens accidentally. In the heat of the moment, during the 15 seconds teams have to review, the umpire must be careful,” Chaudhary told MyKhel.
Despite the moment being harmless in the end, it reignited the debate around umpiring standards and the influence of unconscious gestures in the DRS era.
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