Former England cricketer and renowned commentator David Lloyd was displeased with Indian batters trying to control the game instead of the umpires. The incident happened during the third day of the first Test between India and England.
Indian batsmen KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant told umpire Michael Gough that they wanted to go off the field after a drizzle. Gough allowed them to go back to the dressing room, but James Anderson stepped in and the play resumed eventually.
Lloyd, in his column for The Daily Mail, wrote that the umpires should have the authority to take the call and not the batsmen in such situations. "Who is running this game? The umpires or the players? We had a squally shower come over Trent Bridge that clearly wasn’t going to last long but India refused to bat.
"Michael Gough was just letting them walk off until Jimmy Anderson intervened and they carried on. It’s not his job! The umpires need to be much, much firmer," he wrote.
India are currently ahead in the game after the first innings. They bowled out England cheaply on 183 and then took a lead of 95 runs after scoring 278 in their turn.
Lloyd understands the struggle of a fragile English top-order and wrote that Dom Sibley is not even the best opener from his own county of Warwickshire. He wants the team management to look for other options available.
"There will be a debate about England’s top order and we’ve been looking at what’s around the county circuit. One distinguished person in cricket told me Dom Sibley is not even the best opener at Warwickshire. Step forward Rob Yates. And closer to the team Haseeb Hameed is emerging from the most almighty doldrums. He will get his chance again," Lloyd signed off.
