Fans slammed England's sportsman spirit following an incident involving Ben Foakes' catch claim against Yashasvi Jaiswal, which was ultimately ruled not out by the third umpire during Day 2 of the Ranchi Test. This contentious event took place in the second session of the fourth Test between India and England at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
Indian opener Jaiswal edged the final delivery of Ollie Robinson's 20th over to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes post-lunch. The ball took a low trajectory towards the batsman, prompting a review to the third umpire to verify whether Foakes had cleanly caught the ball or if it had bounced prior to being secured in his gloves.
Fans call England, a team of cheaters
The incident quickly intensified when the England team, believing they had secured a clean catch, started celebrating what they presumed was Jaiswal's wicket. Their celebrations were cut short, however, when upon review, third umpire Joel Wilson, after examining the footage repeatedly, determined that the ball had bounced before being caught by Foakes, leading to Jaiswal being declared not out. This verdict left the England team, especially Ben Stokes, in visible disbelief, igniting widespread discussion across social media.
Criticism and disappointment flooded Twitter and other platforms from fans and observers alike, with some accusing England of poor sportsmanship. Accusations of "cheater" were directed at Foakes and the English team for their hasty celebration and appeal. This controversy took center stage, overshadowing a day that saw solid cricket performances, including Joe Root's standout unbeaten 122, propelling England to a first innings score of 353, and India's tenacious batting in the face of an early loss of Rohit Sharma.
"These England cricketers are f****** cheats. Look at their cheap expressions as soon as the third umpire gave Yashasvi Jaiswal not out. It seems they have gone blind," a user with handle @ShivaramManjun2 wrote on X.
Indian batters succumb to Bashir's spin magic
Meanwhile, Shoaib Bashir-inspired England kept Indian batters in check to take the Day 2 honours in the fourth Test despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's resilient batting. At the end of Day 2's game, India found themselves reeling at 219/7 as England maintain the lead of 134 runs to consolidate grip on Ranchi Test. Dhruv Jurel (30 off 58) and Kuldeep Yadav (17 off 72) hold India's fort after hosts found themselves reeling at 177/7. Shoaib Bashir ran through India's batting line-up, removing four of top five batters earlier in the day.
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