Team India pacer Shardul Thakur was in the middle of a sensational spell in the last half an hour of the first session on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, when an umpiring decision stole the limelight. 

After dismissing skipper Dean Elgar and half-centurion Keegan Peterson, Thakur induced an inside edge from Rassie van der Dussen and wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant took the catch. The on-field umpire Marais Erasmus gave it out but the replays suggested that the ball might have not carried cleanly into Rishabh Pant’s gloves.

While legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar criticised the batsman for walking, co-commentator Mark Nicholas clarified that the third umpire gave the decision in the favour of the fielding side as there was inconclusive evidence and he chose to go with the on-field call.

“We have heard that if there was conclusive evidence during the review at the Lunch break, then the third umpire can offer it back to the fielding captain. If the 3rd umpire had conclusive evidence that it didn’t carry, they can offer it back to the fielding captain to call van der Dussen back,” Nicholas said on-air.

Gavaskar too joined Nicholas saying, “It was a thick inside edge. There is no question whether it came off the bat. The question is whether it lobbed. These kinds of pictures are never very conclusive. They would have checked with Rishabh Pant.”

While some of the fans on Twitter criticised Pant for claiming the catch, others felt the umpire was at fault. After the lunch break, skipper Dean Elgar and South Africa team manager apparently went to the umpire to have a chat about the dismissal of van der Dussen and if it was a fair catch, however, it couldn’t be reversed as the third umpire sided with the on-field call.