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In a Test match of many fascinating batting and bowling performances already, surprisingly, on-field umpire Nitin Menon has grabbed the headlines in Kanpur. A member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, he has had an unenviable match so far, getting quite a few crucial calls wrong for both India and New Zealand.
On Saturday, he turned down an appeal for a caught behind by Ravichandran Ashwin against Will Young. Substitute wicketkeeper KS Bharat grabbed a brilliant low catch and on review, it turned out to come off a healthy edge.
The role was reversed a few overs later when Ravichandran Ashwin rapped another Kiwi opener, Tom Latham, on the pads. The ball had pitched on the middle stump and straightened stunningly to hit the southpaw plumb in front. Nitin Menon didn't give it out and the Indians, for some reason, didn't review it either.
The whole saga sent Twitter into a frenzy with fans berating the Indian umpire. Some asked for him to be 'dropped' while others expressed their longing for Virat Kohli, who has been involved in some animatic conversations with Nitin Menon in the past. The following are the best reactions:
"Nitin Menon, who is usually very good, the standard has fallen there as well" - Aakash Chopra
Speaking after Day 2 of the Test match in Kanpur, former India opener Aakash Chopra also reproached Nitin Menon and Virender Sharma's umpiring. He said he "lost count" of their wrong decisions, adding:
"We once again saw the same thing. Umpiring has been of a very ordinary standard. Tom Latham was given out like Shubman Gill but it turned out to be an inside edge. Nitin Menon, who is usually very good, the standard has fallen there as well... How many times did it happen today with Tom Latham? I have actually lost count."
Meanwhile, while Ravichandran Ashwin went wicketless after the missed lbw decision, the pressure he built resulted in pacer Umesh Yadav dismissing opposition captain Kane Williamson. India ended the first session on 197-2, with New Zealand trailing by 148 runs.
