India get the wrong finger, yet again

The 61-year-old Steve Bucknor obviously tops the list with the maximum number of faulty decisions against India while a close second is Asoka De Silva, whom the Indians have named Shocker de Silva.

India have faced the brunt of all wrong decisions through 2007-08 from leading umpires, including Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar, Rudi Keortzen, Billy Bowden, Asad Rauf, Peter Hartley, Ian Gould, Ian Howell, Mark Benson, and of course Bucknor. It’s a new record in itself, but one that the team isn’t enjoying.

Consider this:

• Billy Bowden ruled out Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble wrongly in the Melbourne Test

• Aleem Dar gave two decisions in the seventh and final ODI in England that broke the back of India’s batting

• Hartley denied Ramesh Powar a caught-behind appeal against Owais Shah in the 6th ODI in England

• Gould gave Tendulkar out on 92 in the Bristol one-dayer

• Howell ruled Sourav Ganguly lbw when there was a big inside edge in the third Test against England

• In the same match, Wasim Jaffer was shockingly declared lbw to James Anderson while RP Singh and Sreesanth were denied the wickets of Alastair Cook and Anderson.

• Simon Taufel famously started Tendulkar’s nervous nineties in England Test series

• Keortzen sent back Rahul Dravid in the Kolkata Test against Pakistan when the former captain had just begun to hit form.

In Sydney today, Mark Benson denied a strong appeal after Ricky Ponting snicked Sourav Ganguly down the leg side when the Australian skipper was on 17. Ponting went on to score his half-century as he and Michael Hussey put on a 92-run partnership for the third wicket

Worse was to come. After having packed off four Aussie batsmen since lunch, Bucknor turned down a loud caught-behind appeal against Andrew Symonds off rookie pacer Ishant Sharma. Even Symonds admitted later that he had “hit the ball.” Symonds was on 30, he’s now unbeaten on 137 after adding 173 for the seventh wicket with Brad Hogg.

... contd.