SL vs IND: Aakash Chopra opines on the wide-ball controversies during the second T20I in Colombo

Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer, has opined on the controversies surrounding the wide-balls during the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka. When the hosts batted, the umpires turned down Wanindu Hasaranga’s request against a wide off Nitish Rana.

During India’s run-chase, a couple of calls off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chetan Sakariya also hogged the limelight. One of them came in the final over of the game when Lanka needed eight runs. Chopra was clear cut in saying that the umpires should show a little bit of ‘consistency’ regarding the wide-calls.

The veteran said that decisions shouldn’t be such where the advantage is taken away from the bowlers. Chopra put forth his opinions in an interaction on ESPNcricinfo.

The line moves when the batsman moves: Aakash Chopra

“Our game is very unique – the only game that has an umpire and not a referee. But what you are actually looking for is just consistency. I think the line moves when the batsman moves, if it doesn’t that it won’t make any sense because then you are taking everything away from a bowler,” Chopra said.

“If it’s a switch it, for example, if a right-hander turns and becomes a left-hander then he should be treated as a left-hander. In fact, it gives something to the bowlers when he beats the batsman on both sides and it’s still not wide because he (the batsman) has changed while the field remained the same,” he stated.

“A lot of Indians might be feeling slightly hard done by but then but Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s wide should have been given a wide, it wasn’t and now Sakariya’s ball didn’t look like a wide but it was given. So, it evened out in the hand but the question remained on the consistency,” Chopra added.

The match on Wednesday, July 28 wasn’t a high-scoring affair, but it wasn’t short of entertainment by any stretch of the imagination. Batting first, the Men in Blue managed only 132 for the loss of five wickets after Shikhar Dhawan’s 42-ball 40 with five fours.

In the second innings, India didn’t throw in the towel. However, in the end, Dhananjaya de Silva’s unbeaten 34-ball 40 took the hosts over the finishing line. With the four-wicket win, the Lankans also drew level in the three-match series.