Rohit Sharma Reacts to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Controversial Dismissal in Melbourne Test

India’s skipper Rohit Sharma shares his views on the controversial third-umpire decision that dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal during the second innings of the Melbourne Test against Australia.

Melbourne [Australia], December 30: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opened up about the controversial dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal during the second innings of the Melbourne Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. The decision became one of the most debated moments of the match, which ended with Australia clinching a dominant 184-run victory and taking a 2-1 series lead.

India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final took a significant blow following this defeat.

The incident occurred in the 71st over, bowled by Pat Cummins. Jaiswal attempted a pull shot but missed, and wicketkeeper Alex Carey caught the ball cleanly. Despite the on-field umpire ruling him not out, Cummins reviewed the decision.

Upon review, while Snickometer showed no spike, the third umpire Sharfuddoula observed a visible deflection off Jaiswal’s gloves and overturned the on-field call. Jaiswal walked back after a hard-fought 84 off 208 balls, leaving fans and cricket experts divided over the decision.

Rohit Sharma’s Take on the Controversy:

In the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma expressed his opinion on the dismissal, acknowledging that while the visual evidence suggested contact, technology isn’t always foolproof.

“I don’t know what to make of that because the technology didn’t show anything. But with the naked eye, it seemed that he did touch something. So I don’t know how the umpires want to use the technology. But in all fairness, I think he did touch the ball,” Rohit said.

He added, “But again, look, it’s about the technology which we all know is not 100%. But that’s where I feel we have been a little unfortunate. More often than not, we are the ones falling on the wrong side of it.”

The Decisive Fifth Day:

India began Day 5 needing 340 runs to win. Despite a strong stand from Yashasvi Jaiswal and initial resilience from Rishabh Pant, India’s batting faltered against the relentless Australian bowling attack.

Pat Cummins, with a brilliant spell, and Scott Boland dominated the proceedings, bundling out India for 155 in 80 overs.

Player of the Match:

Australian skipper Pat Cummins was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding contributions with both bat and ball, further solidifying his reputation as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket.

With the victory, Australia now holds a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, while India faces an uphill battle to stay in contention for a spot in the WTC Final.