Originally Posted by
ajaybaskar
Harper slams Dhoni
Australian umpire Daryl Harper has blasted India for their behaviour in the first Test against the West Indies, but admits he made a few errors in the match.
India won the Test, beating West Indies by 63 runs in the Caribbean, but skipper MS Dhoni sarcastically said in a post-match press conference that he would have been in his hotel room by now had it not been for the umpiring decisions.
Most of the decisions Dhoni was referring to involved Harper, who in the wake of the criticism, withdrew from standing in the third Test that starts Wednesday, due to be his final game as an international umpire.
"I didn't have my best game of the year but match referee Jeff Crowe, who observed every ball, calculated that I had managed to get 94 percent of all my decisions correct. That analysis was confirmed from headquarters in our Dubai office," Harper said on Friday.
"There was one LBW against Harbhajan that would have been reversed had Decision Review System been available."
"I also failed to detect a no ball when West Indian Bishoo's back foot touched the side or return crease, [a mistake that's] about as common as Indians eating beef burgers."
The Australian said even the West Indies players were unhappy with the way the visitors behaved on the field.
"West Indies expressed concern over Indian players' habit of charging at umpires when appealing which is against the spirit of the game," Harper said.
"I should never have applied the laws of cricket to Indian players."
Harper also came down strongly on Dhoni, and added that technology could not prove that his decision to give Virat Kohli out was a wrong one.
"We [Dhoni and I] did not share many pleasantries in the match," he said.
"Another decision that was notable involved Virat Kohli. He flashed wide of his body at a short ball that passed well outside his body down the leg side."
"He clearly gloved the ball and was given out."
"Replays could not confirm that my decision was right and they could not confirm my decision was wrong."