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[Saba Sports News] On Day 4 of the second Test at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, Australia clinched a dramatic three-wicket victory over New Zealand, overcoming a target of 279. They were teetering at 80/5 when Mitchell Marsh (80 off 102) and Alex Carey (98* off 123) turned the tide with a 140-run partnership. Nonetheless, the Kiwis fought back, with Ben Sears dismissing Marsh via an umpire’s call on a leg stump clip, sparking controversy.
This incident prompted Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to playfully reference England captain Ben Stokes’s recent criticisms of the umpire’s call system during India’s Test series.
Ashwin humorously hinted on social media that the umpire’s call contributed to the match’s intensity, aligning with Stokes’s frustration over similar decisions affecting England, particularly against batsman Zak Crawley in Tests at Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. Stokes had discussed these grievances, highlighting the impact of such calls on the game’s outcome, although he acknowledged they weren’t the sole reason for England’s defeat.
“An umpire’s call to push this test to a nail-biting finish. #AUSVNZ Some support from England to Australia for ✔️,” Ashwin posted on X.
Meanwhile, India, after an initial setback, won the series 4-1 against England, securing the top spot in the World Test Championship points table.