Dubious umpiring decisions give Aussies the victory at Sydney Test

Australias 122-run victory of the Sydney Test against India has enraged cricket lovers in India after the dubious and controversial decisions by both the umpires- Steve Bucknor and Benson gave the host 2-1 lead in the ongoing series.

Sydney, Jan 6 : Australia's 122-run victory of the Sydney Test against India has enraged cricket lovers in India after the dubious and controversial decisions by both the umpires- Steve Bucknor and Benson gave the host 2-1 lead in the ongoing series.

Today's umpiring woes cost Indian team the wickets of two former skippers, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, putting the team into dire straits.

"We need to take a hard look at all decisions. Those of Dravid and Sourav's are shocking. This is not the way umpiring is done," Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Rajiv Shukla told a private news channel.

He said that the BCCI would soon lodge a complaint in this regard to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Bucknor, who has been criticised for his dubious decisions that favoured the Australians in the entire test match, once again took a controversial stand by adjudging Dravid out on an Andrew Symonds delivery.

The TV replays showed that the ball had brushed Dravid's pad and it was nowhere near his bat, but it was not sufficient proof for Bucknor who declared him out when the former skipper started looking dangerous for the host after Wasim Jaffer's exit on duck.

This was later followed by a controversial catch taken by Michael Clarke that led to the dismissal of Sourav Ganguly.

Umpire Benson asked Clarke whether he had taken the catch properly and after getting an affirmative answer, he declared Ganguly out.

This infuriated veteran Indian player Sunil Gavaskar, who termed it as a 'nonsense decision' and commented that the umpire should then also take batsman's opinion about the catch if the umpire starts consulting players before taking decisions.

"I don't think that the Australian team is honest and have the sportsman spirit," former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja said in a TV programme commenting on Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting's aggressive claim of taking a catch, which had actually landed on the ground.

The umpires' controversial decision saving Symonds' wicket four times in the Test had already enraged cricket lovers here.

"Symonds was given at least four lives, only after which he could complete his century. A number of decisions were given against the Indians as opposed to just one against the Aussies," former Indian batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu said, and he demanded that the ICC should look into it.

However, on the question whether India will still play the third Test after such biased decisions from umpires, Shukla said that a decision on it would be taken under the rules and regulations of the ICC.

ANI