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Rishabh Pant (Source: ScreenGrab)
Afghanistan's poor decision-making with the DRS proved costly once again as they let India off the hook on multiple occasions during the ongoing one-off Test at the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh.
While the visitors managed to pick up three wickets and troubled the Indian openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, and Sai Sudharsan, three major review blunders allowed India to stay in control of the contest.
After winning the toss, India chose to bat first and faced a few nervous moments despite putting together important partnerships.
Afghanistan's bowlers created several opportunities, but their poor use of DRS moments became a major talking point for the first two days.
Shubman Gill Escapes After Afghanistan Declines Another Clear Review
The latest error came on Day 2 when Shubman Gill survived an LBW appeal against Azmatullah Omarzai. In the 89th over of the innings, Omarzai produced a delivery that jagged back sharply and struck Shubman Gill on the pads.
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The Afghanistan players immediately appealed. However, with only one review remaining, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi chose not to challenge the on-field umpire’s decision of not out.
The decision quickly backfired as replays later confirmed that the ball had struck only the pads.
Ball-tracking showed three reds, indicating that the delivery would have gone on to hit the leg stump. Had Afghanistan reviewed the decision, Shubman Gill would have been dismissed.
Rishabh Pant Survives Moments Later
Afghanistan's troubles did not end there. Just one ball later, Omarzai once again beat Rishabh Pant.
Bowling from around the wicket, Omarzai induced an outside edge from Rishabh Pant’s bat. However, neither the bowler nor wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai appeared convinced enough to make a strong appeal. The umpire remained unmoved, and Afghanistan let the chance pass.
Replays later revealed a clear edge before the ball travelled through to the keeper. The visitors were left stunned as another wicket slipped through their fingers.
KL Rahul Got a Lifeline On Day 1
Afghanistan's DRS struggles had actually begun on the opening day of the Test. On the first ball of the 11th over, Zia Ur Rehman Sharifi found KL Rahul’s outside edge as the Indian opener attempted an aggressive cut shot. A loud noise was heard, prompting an appeal from the fielders.
While Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the bowler looked interested in taking a review, wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai was unconvinced. Captain Shahidi ultimately went with his keeper and decided against using DRS.
Moments later, UltraEdge confirmed a significant spike, clearly showing that KL Rahul had edged the ball. Afghanistan could only watch in disappointment as the replay appeared on the big screen.
The mistake proved costly as KL Rahul made the most of the opportunity and went on to score a brilliant century, his 12th in Test cricket.
Afghanistan's bowlers have impressed throughout the Test and created chances against the Indian batters. However, three major DRS errors involving KL Rahul, Gill and Pant have overshadowed their efforts.
At the time of writing this article, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are at the crease for India.
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