Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar criticized England batter Tom Banton for squandering a DRS review after his dismissal in the third ODI against India in Ahmedabad. Banton, making his first appearance of the tour, had looked solid, scoring 38 off 40 balls.
However, in the final ball of the 18th over, with England at 126/2, Banton was given out caught behind off Kuldeep Yadav. Unsure if he had edged the ball, Banton consulted his batting partner, Joe Root, about whether to take a review. After some back-and-forth, Banton opted to challenge the decision, only to find that the ball had clearly brushed the outside edge of his bat—nowhere near his pad or the ground.
Gavaskar, who was commentating on Star Sports at the time, was quick to criticize Banton for wasting the review, calling it an unnecessary decision (via Hindustan Times).
“Are you kidding? Taking a review after nicking the ball? I just don’t understand how a batter can’t tell he’s edged it, especially when the ball clearly didn’t hit his pad or the ground. This is international cricket, not school cricket. Sure, sometimes you might not be sure, but this is the big stage. It makes it even more puzzling that he had to go over to the non-striker to discuss it.”
Banton’s dismissal ended a promising 46-run partnership with Joe Root, leaving England at 126/3 after 18 overs in their chase of a daunting 357.
For the third consecutive match, England squandered a strong start with the bat, crumbling under pressure from India’s relentless bowling attack. Having reached 60/0 in just six overs and 126/2 by the 18th over, they were in a solid position to challenge the target.
However, they lost their final eight wickets for a mere 88 runs, succumbing to a heavy 142-run defeat. This result marked England’s fourth straight loss in ODI bilateral series, following their disappointing 2023 World Cup performance. It also capped off a grim white-ball tour for England in India, where they were defeated 1-4 in the T20I series and 0-3 in the ODI series.