Rishabh Pant’s dismissal has left a sour taste in the mouths of Indian cricket team fans. Pant, who looked in menacing mood on Day 3 of the Test match in Mumbai, almost gave India a win in the third Test match of the series.

However, things fell apart in the 22nd over of the game when the third umpire controversially ruled that the batsman was caught by Ajaz Patel. Pant was not given out by on-field umpire Richard Illingworth as the ball appeared on his pad and into the hands of keeper Tom Blundell. However, a DRS review indicated that the ball might have caught an edge off Pant’s bat, prompting the third umpire to overturn Illingworth’s decision.

Decision divided fans on social media, with some siding with Illingworth, stating that Pant was robbed. The decision had huge implications on the match as it looked like Pant would pull off an unlikely victory on Sunday.

“About the dismissal, honestly, I don’t know. If we say something, it’s not well accepted. But if there is no conclusive evidence, they have to stay with the decision on the field. That’s what I was told. I don’t know how that decision was overturned, as of now what the umpire didn’t give him out,” said Rohit Sharma in the post-match press conference.

“The bat was close to the pads, again I don’t know if it’s the right thing for me to talk about. It’s something for the referees to think about. To have the same rules for each team and not keep changing their minds,” he continued. .

The comments reflected how much pressure was on the match and how desperately both teams wanted to win. Especially for India, who were not only looking to avoid their first whitewash on home soil, but needed to win the Test to avoid jeopardizing their qualification for the WTC Final.

Illingworth, Gough Shine

In total, DRS was called into action 14 times. The vicious pitch at Wankhede not only made life difficult for the players but also for the umpires who had to watch every ball with incredible concentration.

Of the 14 times DRS was called Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough were right 11 times. There were times when both referees made brave calls, flirting with the referees’ call lines, but in the end they got most of the decisions right.

Here’s a chronological breakdown of all the times DRS has been called into action in Mumbai.

First innings from New Zealand

1. 3.2 – Akash Deep at Conway

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Conway did a review but it was discovered.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the ball was confirmed to be hitting the stumps.

2. 31.1 – Washington Sundar to Will Young

Ruling: Not Out (LBW)

Review: India reviewed but the ball was shown to have hit the glove.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the ball hit the glove before the pad.

3. 39.1 – Ashwin to Mitchell

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Mitchell reviewed quickly; the ball hit the glove first.

Fairness: The umpires were correct on the initial call, but review showed the ball touched the glove.

4. 59.5 – Washington Sundar to Mitchell

Ruling: Not Out (LBW)

Review: India lost a review as they were found to be missing a leg stump.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the ball was indeed missing a leg.

5. 65.4 – Washington Sundar to Ajaz Patel

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Ajaz Patel reviewed but was spotted with all three reds on HawkEye.

Fairness: The referees were fair; it was a clear LBW.

India’s first innings

1. 17.3 – Ajaz Patel to Siraj

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Siraj reviewed but was discovered.

Fairness: The referees were fair; HawkEye confirmed that the ball was hitting the top of the off stump.

2. 37.3 – Ish Sodhi at Pant

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Revision: Pant was revised, but the original decision stood.

Fairness: The referees were fair; ball tracking showed it would clip leg stump.

3. 57.1 – Ajaz Patel to Washington Sundar

Ruling: Not Out (LBW)

Review: New Zealand was reviewed but found to be missing the stump.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the ball was indeed missing.

New Zealand second half

1. 0.4 – Akash Deep to Latham

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Latham reviewed immediately; an inner edge has been confirmed.

Fairness: The referees were unfair; there was clear evidence of an inner edge.

2. 21.1 – Ashwin to Mitchell

Ruling: Not Out (LBW)

Review: India looked on but ball tracking showed the impact was off him.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the impact was really out.

3. 41.6 – Jadeja to Ajaz Patel

Ruling: Out (caught)

Review: Ajaz Patel reviewed but the decision stood as no bat was involved.

Fairness: The referees were fair; the ball has been shown to only hit the pad.

India second innings

1. 6.5 – Phillips to Jaiswal

Verdict: Out (LBW)

Review: Jaiswal reviewed but UltraEdge indicated a peak.

Fairness: The referees were unfair; the ball appeared to be between bat and pad.

2. 21.4 – Ajaz Patel at Pant

Ruling: Not Out (caught)

Review: New Zealand Revisited; a weak margin has been confirmed.

Fairness: The referees were unfair; the review revealed an inner edge.

3. 28.4 – Phillips to Ashwin

Verdict: Out (caught)

Review: Ashwin reviewed but UltraEdge confirmed the glove was involved.

Fairness: The referees were fair; there was clear evidence of glove contact.

Throughout this thrilling Test match, Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth displayed remarkable composure and accuracy, managing a series of high-pressure decisions effectively. Their ability to maintain the integrity of the game was critical, ensuring the right calls were upheld, while also recognizing the few instances where reviews overturned initial decisions, making them the true heroes of the Wankhede Test match in Mumbai.