THEY SAID IT
‘I really enjoy the pressure of winning and to be here and to represent this club you have to be prepared to do that. If not, you don’t belong here.’
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players they should enjoy the pressure of needing to deliver a result against Benfica tonight
ENGLAND were left bewitched by India’s bowlers and bewildered by the officiating after a torrid opening day of the third Test.
The tourists’ decision to pick three seamers and one spinner for the day/night Test in Ahmedabad look flawed as they were dismissed for just 112, with nine of the wickets falling to spin.
India reached 99 for three in reply and, though England could have no complaints about their performance, they were frustrated by a series of controversial decisions by the third umpire, which led captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood to speak to the match referee.
Chettithody Shamshuddin had upheld Jack Leach’s dismissal after meticulously checking a low catch, only to later reprieve Shubman Gill in hasty fashion when Ben Stokes claimed a similarly disputed take, given out on the field.
Shamshuddin also took just a few seconds and a
couple of replays to wave away a tight stumping appeal against Rohit Sharma.
India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane had been reprieved in questionable fashion in the second Test and stump microphones caught Root telling the on-field officials ‘all we want is consistency’.
After Root and Silverwood spoke to Javagal Srinath, an England spokesman said: ‘The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires.’
‘It’s very frustrating,’ said Zak Crawley, who topscored for England with 53. ‘I can’t say whether they were out or not out, but I think the frustrations lie with not checking more thoroughly.’
From Ahmedabad to worse