R Ashwin involved in heated exchange with Nitin Menon as umpire warns spinner for obstructing him and non-striker: Watch
With Ashwin making the ball spin sharply, he operated a different tactic, releasing the ball from closer to the stumps and running across the umpire and the batter at the non-striker's end in his follow through.
Spinner R Ashwin was back at his animated best during Day 3 of the first Test between India and New Zealand. The 35-year-old bowler was involved in a rather heated exchanged with umpire Nitin Menon for what is believed to be for running across him in follow through and obstructing his and non-striker's view.
Ashwin got India their first breakthrough in the form of Will Young's wicket, with substitute wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat taking a sharp catch to end the New Zealand opener's innings. However, with Ashwin making the ball spin sharply, he operated a different tactic, releasing the ball from closer to the stumps and running across the umpire and the batter at the non-striker’s end.
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Watching this, umpire Nitin Menon was not impressed and upon bringing it to Ashwin's attention, the spinner did not seem happy. A long animated and heated exchange took place between Ashwin and Menon, with captain Ajinkya Rahane getting summoned by the umpire and joining the discussion as well.
This went on for almost three overs with Menon and Ashwin constantly having a chat about it. The issue was about Ashwin blinding Menon but as far as he was preventing himself from landing on the danger area, which the bowler wasn't, there wasn't anything illegal that Ashwin was doing.
The interaction seemed to be turned serious when Ashwin just walked off in the middle of a conversation, but after the over a calm Menon tried to make the bowler understand of his problem. Still, the visuals showed that everytime Menon would speak regarding it to Ashwin, the India spinner would have a response of his own. Despite getting into his ears, it did not stop Ashwin from continuing to bowl from round the wicket and doing the same.
Ashwin was perhaps initially miffed with Menon missed an LBW call against Latham. Bowling the 73rd over from over the wicket, the ball landed on leg stump and spun to hit Latham on the front pad. It looked close but Menon was not interested. India did not review either but when the replay showed that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps, Ashwin was spotted by the camera kicking the ground in frustration after the over.