It would be rather easy to overlook both the Virat Kohli stare and the wry smile that crossed Richard Kettleborough’s face at almost the same time during the final stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and Bangladesh in the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, on Thursday.
Indeed, on a night which saw India clinically chase down 257 – Shreyas Iyer was the only home bat who did not cross the 25-run mark – after a commendable effort by the bowlers on a flat deck, Kohli’s unbeaten century and a sound opening partnership between Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Shubman Gill would have overwhelmed the stare and the smile at either end of the pitch.
Both emotions, transient in the blink-and-you-miss-it action, will remain embedded in the minds of all those who were watching the broadcast because they came at a critical juncture. With India needing just two runs to win, Nasum Ahmed, Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner, bowled what should have been called a wide delivery when Kohli was a run away from his 48th century in ODIs.
Ideally, an umpire remains in the background during a game of cricket. And, more often than not, when umpires come to the centre of discussion, it is because they have delivered a questionable, if not entirely dubious, decision. This was a rare occasion when the umpire held the spotlight for a critical moment and drew praise.
As a guardian of the Laws of Cricket and the Spirit of Cricket, Kettleborough did well – in his own way – to ensure that he delivered on both counts when Nasum fired one down the leg side. It is a good wager that as many 9999 umpires out of 10,000 would have called it a wide and nobody would have questioned them.
Kettleborough preferred to be the exception. When everyone expected him to extend his arms and signal a wide, he remained unmoved. From around 22 yards away, he could see Kohli frown and stare at the bowler. With thousands of pairs of eyes gazing at him in anticipation, Kettleborough was unmoved, only allowing himself a gentle half-smile.
And in doing so, he conveyed to Nasum, with 13 one-day international caps behind him, and the Bangladesh team that he would not let them get away with an insincere attempt to finish the match before Kohli got to his century. He had blazed 23 runs in the 14 balls until he got to 97, with India needing only a brace to win.
The blue shirts packing the MCA Stadium and KL Rahul, the vice-captain batting at the other end, willed Kohli on as he put the Bangladesh attack to sword. The fourth-wicket pair did not attempt singles on a couple of occasions and ran some twos which challenged the fielders as India’s seasoned campaigner led a chase for the umpteenth time.
Of course, the uncharitable would say that Kettleborough was wrong to not call the Nasum delivery a wide. But on Thursday, he had a very important role in ensuring that the Spirit of Cricket would not be trampled upon by a bowler’s possible desire to deny a batter the chance to complete his hundred.
More importantly, Kettleborough ensured that the focus would remain firmly on the cricket contest and India’s all-round superiority, rather than a debate on the final delivery. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that saved the day and quickly let Kohli regain his place in the centre of the stage.
Old timers will remember Kettleborough as a fairly average cricketer who turned up for Yorkshire and Middlesex. Others will recall that he was ICC’s Best Umpire for three years from 2013. A few will point out that he was the TV umpire who controversially ruled Shubman Gill caught by Cameron Green off Scott Boland in the World Test Championship final in June.
On Thursday, he gave everyone a reason to appreciate his work as a guardian of the Spirit of Cricket. He showed conviction in not calling that delivery a wide. For, it not just high-performance athletes but also umpires who have to display courage so that the sport they are part of remains pure, and does not let anyone bend the rules to deny someone else their place under the sun.
Come to think of it, whether he had finished with 97 not out or 103 not out, Kohli would have slept well in the knowledge that he had played a role in the team’s victory. It was important for Kettleborough to sleep with the awareness that he had not allowed the game to end in a less-than-sporting manner.