(Aug 07), Is India’s current three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka a do-or-die situation because of an error made by ICC match officials?
After putting the Indian men’s team in a do-or-die situation in the current three-match ODI match, Sri Lanka appears to be staring at Gautam Gambhir’s first series loss as head coach. The home team shocked the visitors by 32 runs in the second One-Day International after the Lankan spinners dramatically forced a tie in the first ODI, recovering from a situation where India needed just a run to win. With the victory, Sri Lanka was able to establish an unstoppable 1-0 lead in the series, putting India in a game where they had to win or lose.
The controversy surrounding the first ODI game, in which the ICC match officials skipped a Super Over to force a result out of the tied match, persisted as the proceedings move closer to the final match of India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The tour included a T20I series in which the Suryakumar Yadav-led team easily defeated the Islanders 3-0.
The Super Over was an option to decide the outcome of the first ODI match of the series, based on the ICC’s December 2023 ODI playing conditions, according to a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official who spoke to Mid Day on condition of anonymity. Traditionally, tie-breakers are thought to be used only in ICC and other multi-nation tournaments. The MOU, which was signed by both boards, did make reference to the playing condition.
In accordance with the most recent amendment to the ICC Men’s ODI Playing Conditions, Clause 16.3.1.1, all ODI matches that end in ties shall be resolved by a Super Over, unless circumstances prohibit it from being played. It says: A Super Over will be played if, at the end of both innings, the team’s scores are tied. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, more Super Overs will be played if the first one ends in a tie until a winner is determined. The match will be declared tied if the Super Overs necessary to decide the winner cannot be played or completed.
Despite the rule, the Super Over was surprisingly left out of the first ODI, and the match officials—TV Umpire Paul Reiffel, Reserve Umpire Ruchira Pallyaguruge, On-field Umpires Joel Wilson and Raveendra Wimalasiri, and Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle—have not yet released an official statement regarding last week’s match.
In addition to depriving fans of a fitting conclusion to that suspenseful match in Colombo, the ICC match officials’ error prevented both India and Sri Lanka from forcing a result in that match, which could have even decided the series.
Given that the home team won the second game, India could have won the tie-breaker, as they did in the final Twenty20 International match against Sri Lanka last week. In the meantime, Charith Asalanka’s team could have shocked India in the Super Over and claimed the series by now, making the third match meaningless.
An ICC official said in a different story that appeared in The Morning Telegraph that a Super Over would be played in accordance with the rules in the event that another match in the series ended in a tie. According to reports, the unidentified ICC official stated, “Two wrongs won’t make one right.“
