Indian opener KL Rahul was going strong on day
three of the ongoing fourth Test against England at the Kennington Oval,
London, nearly wiping out the hosts’ lead with an 83-run stand with partner
Rohit Sharma on Saturday. However, the Karnataka batsman was unfortunate to
miss out on what would have been a well-deserved fifty, nicking a James Anderson
delivery to be caught behind.

While Rahul was understandably disappointed
on not having converted a start into a big score, he was also not in agreement
with the decision, as he thought he did not edge the delivery.

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The on-field
umpire agreed initially, but the decision was overturned following an England review,
with replays showing a spike in the UltraEdge as the ball passed the bat.

However, the bat was also very close to the
front pad, with Rahul suggesting he brushed the pad with the bat, rather than
edging the delivery. However, with no conclusive evidence to support his
argument, he dejectedly walked back to the pavilion.

Shedding his thoughts on the dismissal, Indian
legend VVS Laxman thinks Rahul did in fact edge the ball, although he said he
can understand why the Karnataka batsman was disappointed.

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Speaking at ESPNcricinfo’s Match Point,
Laxman said he agreed with the third umpire’s call to rule Rahul caught behind.
He also said there was a clear gap between the bat and the pad.

“Yeah, I thought it was out! Because when
the contact between bat and ball happened, I thought the bat was well ahead of
the pad. There was enough gap between bat and pad so I thought when the snicko
came up, it was clear that the impact was between bat and ball. So, I think
that was a fair decision,” Laxman said.

“There was a genuine reason for him to have
that doubt because while the bat was coming down, it brushed the back pad,
that’s the reason why I felt KL Rahul was in doubt. Probably once he goes into
the dressing room and sees the replay, he will accept the decision,” he added.

The 46-year-old further said that not
converting his start into a big score may have been why Rahul was disappointed.

Despite the setback on the stroke of Lunch,
the Indian batsmen dominated the proceedings on day three, with Rohit Sharma notching
a spectacular century, his first away from home and his eighth overall. Cheteshwar
Pujara also scored a half-century, with the two batsmen adding 153 runs for the
second wicket.

Skipper Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are
at the crease and will look to extend India’s lead – currently at 171 – to 300
or beyond to put them in prime position to take an unassailable lead in the five-match
series.