Cheating or blunder? Umpire Kumar Dharmasena's 'bat signal' helps England save review against India at The Oval

The first day of the fifth Test between India and England at The Oval is already seeing disagreement, as umpire Kumar Dharmasena's actions are being looked at closely. A bat signal seemed to aid England in keeping a key DRS review. This event has caused much talk among fans and experts, bringing up questions about fair play and the function of umpires under the Decision Review System (DRS).

This questionable event happened in the 13th over of India's first innings. England's bowler, Josh Tongue, bowled a fast inswinging yorker to India's batter, Sai Sudharsan. The ball hit Sudharsan low on his leg, and the English players loudly appealed for an LBW. Dharmasena quickly said not out. Then, he used his fingers to point out a possible inside edge to the fielding side.

From replays, it was clear that Sudharsan did get a slight inside edge before the ball hit his leg, which means Dharmasena's call was right. But, his extra gesture became the issue. DRS rules say that umpires should not give reasons for their not out calls during an appeal, especially when a team can ask for a review. These gestures might change the fielding captain's mind about whether to ask for a DRS review.

Experts react as #KumarDharmasena makes a lightning-quick LBW call on #SaiSudharsan 

Did he judge it too quickly or just perfectly? #ENGvIND  5th TEST, DAY 1 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar  https://t.co/04PYjgM7su pic.twitter.com/LJuKFV5Own

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 31, 2025

Former England captain Michael Atherton, on commentary, reacted sharply to the incident, stating, "India would say we want England to burn their reviews." Social media has been ablaze with images and videos of Dharmasena's "bat signal," with many Indian fans crying foul and alleging an unfair advantage for England. While some argue it was an innocent, perhaps habitual, gesture, others contend it was a clear deviation from standard umpiring procedure that directly benefited the bowling side by informing them an inside edge was involved, thus preventing them from wasting a review.

This situation shows how careful umpires need to be with DRS in place. While their main job is to make correct calls, anything that looks like it favors one team could cause people to think there is prejudice or a rule break. As the series nears its end, every call and review is more important. Dharmasena's bat signal has created more tension at The Oval.

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