'An unsung hero in umpiring' - Twitter heaps praise on Michael Gough for his LBW call in England-Pakistan Test

Despite the departure of both the openers, Crawley stuck in the middle and stitched a half-century to bolster England's run-flow.

By Ameya Barve

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Dom Sibley
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Dom Sibley. (Photo Source: Twitter)

After clinching the first Test and the second one turning out to be a rain-marred draw, England locked horns with Pakistan in the third and final Test of the series at Rose Bowl Cricket Ground, Southampton.

With a chance to register a victory and clinch the three-Test series, England won the toss and elected to bat first on the first day. The Joe Root-led side didn’t have a start which they had hoped for as they were struck with an early blow.

Opener Rory Burns was sent back to the pavilion by Shaheen Afridi in the fifth over, with the scoreboard showing 12/1. The ball took a thick edge off Burns’ willow and landed into the hands of Shan Masood at fourth slip. Fellow opener Dom Sibley tried to stick in the middle but he was also trapped by Yasir Shah in the 19th over.

England registered 91/2 at Lunch on the first day

Struggling to face Yasir’s spin, Sibley went down the track, looking to play through the leg side. However, he missed the track and got hit on the pads. A massive appeal from Pakistan squad led to umpire Michael Gough raising his finger. The English opener decided to challenge the decision as he went upstairs after consulting Zak Crawley.

But the replays rolled in and the Ultra Edge showed that there wasn’t any bat involved in the process. Three reds flashed and Sidley had no choice to walk back to the pavilion as England lost a review. Upon England’s unsuccessful DRS call, Twitter also showered praise on umpire Gough for his accurate vision and decision.

Even the official ICC Twitter lauded the English umpire for his great piece of umpiring. Since 2018, Gough is the only umpire who has boasted a correct rate of more than 90 per cent in DRS calls. Many people including India international Ravichandran Ashwin lauded Gough for his exemplary umpiring skills.

Sibley walked back after scoring 22 off 47, leaving England reeling at 73/2. Despite the departure of both the openers, Crawley stuck in the middle and stitched a half-century to bolster England’s run-flow. He scored 53 off 80 deliveries as the hosts finished on 91/2 at lunch.

England fans might be anticipating the youngster to go forward and score his maiden ton in the traditional format. 22-year-old Crawley was also assisted by Root as the England skipper amassed a 28-ball 10 before the lunch break. With no rain interruptions so far, both England and Pakistan are hoping to have an enthralling contest in the middle.

Here’s how Twitter showered praise on Michael Gough:

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