Don't know why there can't be an 'I don't know' call with umpires as well: Kohli joins soft-signal debate

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Ahmedabad, March 19: Indian captain Virat Kohli joined the debate about the soft-signal given by the on-field umpires and the controversial TV umpire's call which cost Suryakumar Yadav his wicket during the fourth T20I between India and England in Ahmedabad on Thursday (March 18).

Having posted 185/8 in 20 overs, India managed to defend it and won the match by 8 wickets by restricting England to 177/8. While the game had some brilliant performances from both the side but the TV umpire's decision to not overturn Suryakumar Yadav's catch by Dawid Malan in the deep after the replays and the slow-motion videos showed the fielder's fingers weren't completely underneath the ball while it landed on the ground.

What many experts found strange was the fact that the TV umpire couldn't find the conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field umpire's soft signal of out for a catch that was taken in the deep and the replays showed the catch wasn't clean either. The umpire's decision baffled many as Suryakumar had to walk away for 57 in his first T20I innings. Had the right-handed batsman from Mumbai - playing just his second match - stayed longer in the middle, the hosts would have ended up scoring more runs.

Talking about the third umpire's calls, during the post-match presentation, Kohli said: "There was an instance during the Test series when I was next to Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) and he clearly caught the ball but he wasn't sure so we went upstairs. If it is a half and half effort and the fielder is in doubt, there is no way the umpire from the square leg can see it clearly. The soft signal becomes that important and it becomes tricky.

"I don't know why there can't be an 'I don't know' call with the umpires as well. It is similar to the umpire's call as well. These are decisions that can change the course of the game, especially in these big games. We were on the receiving side today, and tomorrow it could be some other team. You want these ironed out and keep the game really simple and linear. It isn't ideal in high-pressure games and we want a lot of clarity on the field."

Talking about his team's performance, Kohli praised Suryakumar and Shardul for their efforts in the game.

Kohli said, "Proper game against a top side in this format. The wicket was better than any other game and the dew factor was massive, bigger than any other game as well. The wicket allowed us to get to that total. There were a few instances in the middle which were strange, but having said that 180+ was what we were looking at.

"Special mention to Surya, he batted outstandingly well in his first game. Similar to Ishan. They are quite fearless having played in the IPL. We don't have any T20Is after this so I want the guys to be confident and come out of it very strongly. With the ball, we were quite clinical. Shardul turned it around but our powerplay start kept England in check and under pressure."