West Indies captain Roston Chase has doubled down on his criticism of umpiring decisions in the first Test against Australia, claiming that numerous important rulings went against his team, having a big impact on the match’s outcome.
Daren Sammy, the head coach, also expressed his reservations, specifically over the performance of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock. Among the highlights were Chase’s LBW dismissal, where there appeared to be an inside edge, and Shai Hope’s caught behind dismissal by Alex Carey, which the West Indies camp deemed doubtful. Furthermore, the team believed a caught-behind ruling against Travis Head on the first day of play should have been reversed.
“This game is difficult for myself and the squad since we bowled Australia out for a poor total. We were quite pleased with that. But there were so many questionable calls in the game, none of which went our way. I mean, as a player, you go out there, give it your all, and fight. “And then nothing goes your way,” Chase says.
“This may be heartbreaking. You see what experienced batters can do on the pitch. The wicket allows you to score runs once you get in, but getting in is the most difficult part. My relationship with Shai Hope was going well until some dubious phone calls occurred. That obviously hampered our ability to build a significant advantage on Australia’s total. It’s easy to see how someone would feel awful or harmed by those decisions. “You’re out there playing to win, giving it your all, and it appears that everyone is against you,” he said.
Chase advocated for increased accountability for umpires who make poor decisions, particularly because the ICC is currently examining the performance of international umpires and considering expulsion from the Elite Panel based on merit.
“It’s upsetting because as players, when we goof up or step out of line, we’re punished heavily. However, nothing happens to the officials. “They just make a bad or questionable decision, and life goes on,” Chase explained.
“You’re discussing men’ careers. A single bad decision can make or shatter a guy’s career. I just think it should be an even playground in terms of penalties for players who step out of line. When you make blatant judgements that go against you, I believe there should be some consequences. I believe that was a significant aspect in the game because me and Hope were doing well. We even had a catch that went against us in the first innings while bowling. So, you never know what the score would have been, but I don’t want to dwell on it,” he said.
On the other side, Australian captain Pat Cummins indicated that his team had no concerns about the umpiring decisions made throughout the match.
“We appeal [and] if we believe it is close, employ DRS and leave the rest to the umpires. In some games, there are several 50-50 calls. Today, we missed a few 50-50 calls that went against us. I believe it’s cricket. “I believe everything balances itself out,” Cummins remarked.
Catching is more of a belief: Roston Chase
The home team also struggled in the field, dropping seven catches throughout the match. The costliest miss came early on the third day when Justin Greaves dropped Head at second slip on 21, with Australia’s lead at 97 at the time.
“There’s nothing I can say to justify the guys dropping the catches. We’ve been working hard on the slip catches. Every day, we try to take at least 30 to 40 catches. But practice and in the game is a big difference. I just think it’s more a belief. From the time one goes down, I think guys tend to get a bit nervous and second guess their catching ability, and sometimes it can throw you off. But once you put one down, you have to look forward to taking the next one,” Chase said.
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