[WATCH] ENG vs IND 2025: Kumar Dharmasena's finger gesture helps England deny DRS

Veteran Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena triggered a controversy after his on-field gesture potentially helped England avoid losing a Decision Review System (DRS) appeal during Day 1 of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.

With India trailing 1-2 in the five-match Test series, the fifth Test at The Oval is a must-win for the visitors. England, led by Ollie Pope in the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes, won the toss and opted to bowl first. India made four changes, with Karun Nair, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel coming into the playing XI.

However, the controversial incident took place in the 13th over of India’s innings. England pacer Josh Tongue bowled a full-toss to young left-hander Sai Sudharsan, who was hit on the pads after appearing to get an inside edge. England went up in appeal for LBW, but Dharmasena immediately ruled it not out.

While the decision after replays was later confirmed as correct, Dharmasena’s hand gesture toward the England players, indicating the ball had hit the bat. This gesture came before the 15-second DRS timer had expired, influencing England’s decision not to opt for a review.

Had the hosts reviewed, it would have been a waste of their referral. But the visual of the umpire providing clarification has triggered backlash. Many experts and fans mentioned that an umpire should never provide reasoning before a team decides whether or not to review a decision.

The incident quickly went viral, with fans and former cricketers questioning Dharmasena’s conduct. Former England captain Michael Atherton also opened up on the decision. "India would say we want England to burn their reviews," he said.

Despite losing openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul early, India managed to recover to 72/2 at lunch. Gus Atkinson trapped Jaiswal LBW through a successful DRS review. Rahul followed soon after, playing on to a short delivery from Chris Woakes. However, the team lost Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharshan soon after. At the time of writing, the scorecard read 104/4.