Who is Sharfuddoula Saikat? - Umpire Who Gave Jaiswal Out on DRS!

On Day 5 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sharfuddoula Saikat, the third umpire for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, made a big impression with his call. The third umpire, a 48-year-old Bangladeshi, made a controversial call. With a dramatic conclusion to the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that was not without controversy, Australia's victory was essentially assured by Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal late on the final day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India appeared destined to play out the draw and send the series to Sydney for a final match after Jaiswal scored 84 runs in a patient innings of 208 deliveries. But Australia managed to secure a vital 184-run victory to grab a 2-1 lead after a collapse in the third session. With Yashasvi Jaiswal at the crease, the Indian team still had a chance to draw the game at that point. 

Joel Wilson, the on-field umpire, declared the Indian hitter not out, and the Australians decided to review right away. Saikat observed a deflection and overturned the ruling, which saw Jaiswal's back and India's hopes of rescuing the Test match dashed even though the snickometer did not detect a spike. 

Umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat in the spotlight:

"I can see the ball has made contact with the gloves. Joel, you need to change your decision."

And with that, Jaiswal is out! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/biOQP4ZeDB

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 30, 2024

The teenage southpaw was controversially dismissed when Alex Carey finished a catch after gloving a delivery down leg from Pat Cummins. However, Joel Wilson, the on-field umpire, signalled a not-out on the pitch, so Cummins reviewed right away. Sharfuddoula Saikat, the third umpire for Bangladesh, received the referral after observing the replay and determining that Jaiswal's gloves clearly deflected after the pull stroke. However, many were shocked to notice that no spikes registered when the ball approached the gloves when they asked to examine the Snickometer.

Saikat was more than a competent left-arm spinner when he first began his career. Additionally, he participated in three games for Bangladesh in the 1994 ICC Trophy, a competition meant to guarantee World Cup qualification. During this event, the Dhaka native picked up six wickets at an economy rate of 4.17 and an average of 18.66. Aside from this, he had a brief but respectable first-class career, taking 31 wickets in 10 games at an average of 23 and recording two five-wicket hauls.

Sharfuddoula, who will officiate the final test match at the SCG as well, was commended for making the choice based on a methodical and unambiguous approach, which supported his apparent sound judgment. Sharfuddoula is one of the most seasoned umpires in world cricket, having officiated 130 international matches, including 15 Test matches, and 67 TV matches in his career.

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