ENG vs IND Test: Kumar Dharmasena Save A DRS Review For England?

Kumar Dharmasena is a Sri Lankan cricket umpire and a former international cricketer. During the fifth Test match between India and England at The Oval in July 2025, umpire Kumar Dharmasena was involved in a controversy after he made a hand gesture during a loud LBW (leg before wicket) appeal. The gesture seemed to indicate that the ball had hit the bat before the pad, suggesting an inside edge. This happened before England had decided whether to use the DRS (Decision Review System) to challenge the umpire’s decision. Because Dharmasena made this gesture so quickly, England did not use their review, which led to criticism that the umpire improperly influenced their decision.

Details of the Controversy

• On Day 1, in the 13th over bowled by Josh Tongue to India’s Sai Sudharsan, a crisp inswinging yorker crashed Sudharsan’s pad after appearing to touch his bat.
• .England appealed loudly for LBW, but Dharmasena shake his head and, critically, made a signal, with his fingers to indicate an inside edge before the 15-second DRS timer had passed.
• England, possibly influenced by this signal, chose not to review the decision.
• Replays confirmed there was truly an inside edge, so the not out decision was technically correct, but the concern was that Dharmasena’s signal gave the fielding side unfair information about his reasoning, which is not allowed under DRS protocols.

Reactions

• The incident triggered major debate among fans, ex-cricketers, and commentators.
• Former India coach Sanjay Bangar and multiple commentators criticized Dharmasena, arguing that giving informative gestures amounts to providing the bowling side with extra guidance, adverse to DRS playing conditions.
• According to DRS regulations, umpires should not signal possible inside edges or other reasons for not giving out until after a review is taken or not.

The controversy was not about the precision of the decision (the batsman was indeed not out) but about whether the umpire’s gesture offended the spirit and protocols of fair play under DRS.