India’s women’s cricket team captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed her strong disapproval of the umpiring decisions during the third ODI against Bangladesh, which ended in a tie on Saturday. Kaur didn’t hold back her criticism, calling the umpiring “farcical.”
In the match, India was bowled out for 225 in 49.3 overs, while Bangladesh posted their highest-ever total of 225/4 in the 50-over format against India, with Fargana Hoque making history by scoring the first-ever ODI century for her country. Although India’s opener, Smriti Mandhana, contributed with 59 runs, and Harleen Deol played remarkably well, scoring 77 runs, the team suffered a collapse in the end, losing the last six wickets for a mere 34 runs. Consequently, the series ended in a tied 1-1 result.
In the aftermath of the game, Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her frustration with the umpiring decisions to the broadcaster. She stated, “Apart from the cricket, the kind of umpiring that was happening, we were very surprised. The next time we come to Bangladesh, we will make sure we are better prepared to deal with this type of umpiring.”
During India’s chase, the last pair of Jemimah Rodrigues (33 not out) and Meghna Singh (6) almost secured a victory, but a contentious caught-behind decision against Meghna added to India’s grievances. Both players appeared visibly unhappy with the decision.
Harmanpreet Kaur openly criticized the on-field umpires, Muhammad Kamruzzaman and Tanvir Ahmed, both locals, labeling their umpiring as “unacceptable.” She expressed disappointment with some of the decisions that were given against her team, including a leg-before decision that went against her when she was batting.
Despite the umpiring controversies, Kaur praised Harleen Deol for her brilliant innings of 77 runs off 108 balls with nine fours. She also commended Jemimah Rodrigues for her consistent performance throughout the innings.
In conclusion, Harmanpreet Kaur highlighted that the game was a valuable learning experience for her team. She also mentioned the presence of the Indian High Commission during the match, expressing gratitude for the visit.
The three-match ODI series had its ups and downs, with Bangladesh claiming their first-ever ODI victory against India in the first match. However, India made a strong comeback in the second game, defeating the hosts by 108 runs. The tied third ODI was overshadowed by the controversies surrounding the umpiring decisions.
