Sherfane Rutherford’s dismissal sparked significant discussion during the third ODI between India and West Indies in New Chandigarh, as the West Indies batter appeared visibly upset after being dismissed. Once the on-field umpire raised his finger, Rutherford refused to accept the call and stayed at the crease, arguing fiercely with the umpires until Shai Hope intervened and convinced him to leave.
What seemed at first to be a routine dismissal soon evolved into an extended debate, as Rutherford challenged the decision and spoke with the umpires. Rutherford was on 24 off 25 balls when Naman Dhir delivered the breakthrough for India. The West Indies batter tried to play the ball, but it seemed to skim past the bat as Rahul took the catch behind the stumps. The on-field decision was overturned, leading Rutherford to appeal the call.
Rutherford promptly requested a review, yet UltraEdge detected a distinct spike as the ball crossed the bat’s edge, and the third umpire upheld the initial call. He was dismissed for 24 runs from 25 balls, hitting two fours. Some commentators raised doubts about the verdict, with one suggesting a potential discrepancy between bat and ball and speculating that the sound heard might have been the bat striking the pad instead of the ball.
However, the official DRS process detected a clear spike on UltraEdge, giving the third umpire ample reason to support the on-field decision. Rutherford’s evident unwillingness to leave and his interaction with the umpires attracted significant attention during the West Indies chase.
The player was dismissed during a critical moment in the chase. Rutherford came in after Amir Jangoo was run out and started offering valuable support to West Indies captain Shai Hope. After 30 overs, West Indies were at 206/3 following his exit for 24, with Hope still not out and needing just six more runs to reach his century.
The controversy soon extended beyond the field, as viewers too began to question whether the spike on UltraEdge definitively indicated that the ball had made contact with Rutherford’s bat. Some reactions suggested there seemed to be a gap between the bat and ball, while others attributed the spike to potential contact with the pad.
That uncertainty made the dismissal especially controversial, as West Indies were still very much in the running. India had scored a formidable 351/7 after KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129, but Hope and Jangoo had skillfully rebuilt the innings before Jangoo was run out for 67. Hope then pressed on with his innings, ultimately reaching his 21st ODI century.
