"I could see the deflection" - Parthiv Patel on Rishabh Pant's dismissal in IND vs NZ 2024 3rd Test

Parthiv Patel reckons Rishabh Pant was correctly given out in India's second innings of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. He claimed that he could see a deflection when the ball passed the bat.

Pant was given out caught behind by the third umpire for a 57-ball 64 on Sunday, November 3. His dismissal reduced India to 106/7 in pursuit of a 147-run target, and they eventually lost the match by 25 runs.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Patel was asked whether Pant wasn't given the benefit of the doubt because the third umpire was convinced that the ball had taken the inside edge.

"Absolutely, it didn't seem like the third umpire had any doubts in his mind. We have spoken a lot about the Hawk-Eye, I could see the deflection. At times, when the bat hits the pad, if the bat hasn't hit the ball, you also see a slight gap. You see daylight but that daylight also wasn't seen there," he responded.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter opined that Paul Reiffel arrived at the right decision.

"Although Paul Reiffel, who is the third umpire, hasn't had a good series, he didn't make any mistake in this decision. I feel there was a deflection from the bat," Patel observed.

The on-field umpire negated New Zealand's initial caught-behind appeal. The decision was reversed after Tom Latham opted for a review.

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"It was a massive moment in New Zealand's win" - Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant's dismissal

Rishabh Pant seemed to be single-handedly taking India to a win. [P/C: BCCI]

During the same discussion, Saba Karim replied in the affirmative when asked whether Rishabh Pant's dismissal was the turning point.

"It was a massive moment in New Zealand's win. They had to decide whether to take the DRS or not, but they backed themselves because, in the end, it was Rishabh Pant's wicket. You had to take a chance there. Ajaz Patel and Tom Blundell, the wicketkeeper who had taken the catch, were extremely confident," he said.

As for the third umpire reversing the on-field decision, the former India selector noted:

"We are feeling it is debatable because the bat hit the pad at the same time, and the ball hit the inside edge as well, that's what we are seeing from the spikes. The pictures Hawk-Eye brings to the fore for the third umpire, it is decided based on that. The type of spike decides whether it is because of wood or the contact is bat with pad. However, if you have two spikes, the bigger spike is a clear indicator that it is off the bat."

Pant added 42 runs for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja and a further 35 runs for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar after India were reduced to 29/5. The hosts then lost their last three wickets at the score of 121 to fall short in the chase.