Officiating in the India vs England third Test Lord's has left many fans unimpressed. While India were able to get a few umpire calls reversed by making use of the Decision Review System, there were some that couldn't be changed due to the "umpire's call" rule. Indian cricket great Anil Kumble, who has been working as a commentator in the series, decided to launch a direct attack at umpire Paul Reiffel over his biased calls in the Lord's Test, favouring the England team.
Kumble shared his perspective on the umpire's verdicts after seeing one of Mohammed Siraj's deliveries trapping Joe Root in front of the stumps. It looked like the ball would crash onto the stumps, but the umpire was unmoved. Siraj and the other members of the Indian team decided to make use of the DRS. Though the ball was shown to be hitting the stumps, the umpire's call rule came into effect, keeping India devoid of the wicket.
Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund, also a commentator for the series, said that Siraj even stared at the umpire while walking back. This is when former England cricketer Jonathan Trott shared his opinion on the matter.
"You thought it was crashing into the inside of the stump. When you saw that normal speed, it was hardly missing the leg stump. England survive again. India animated," former England cricketer Jonathan Trott said on air. Kumble then jumped into the debate.
"It seems Paul Reiffel has decided that it is not going to be out. Anything close, not out," said the legendary leg-spinner, launching a direct attack at the umpire.
On the final day's play, Kumble said that the partnership between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant would be crucial to India's hopes of winning the Lord's Test.
"The duo of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant - both of them are going to be really important. Their partnership is absolutely critical. The way they batted in the first innings was impressive, but they can't afford any indecision this time. India will need that partnership tomorrow. If one of them gets out early, the pressure on the other will be massive. I feel it comes down to KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja. For England to win this, they will need to get both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant early - otherwise, the pressure shifts to their bowlers against India's lower order," Kumble said on JioHotstar.