Dhoni dismissal drama: Taufel sympathises with 3rd umpire

St John's, Antigua, June 8 (UNI) Bill Doctrove might have lost a few admirers in India, thanks to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bizarre dismissal in the first Test against the West Indies, but on-field umpire Simon Taufel can't help but sympathise with the third umpire and blamed the fiasco on inadequate footage.

Daren Ganga had caught Dhoni but the fielder apparently stepped over the ropes and that created a 15-minute drama with Doctrove failing to come out with a verdict and Dhoni eventually walked off after host captain Brian Lara convinced him to do so.

Taufel, however, washed his hands off the matter and said Doctrove could not have done better.

''Under the playing conditions, we are able to refer a boundary decision to the third umpire and have TV provide him with pictures to be able to get him to make that decision as to whether or not he (fielder) did or did not touch the boundary rope before completing the catch,'' the Australian umpire was quoted in a Caribbean Media Corporation report.

''The process is once the referral is made to the third umpire, the third umpire has to use the TV-provided pictures to be able to make a decision. It's not a consultation process, it's a referral.

It's the same as a run out, a hit wicket or a stumping or anything like that.'' Siding with Doctrove, he said, ''The third umpire has to use the resources that are available to him that TV provides to be able to make that decision. Sometimes, TV provides some great pictures to be able to do that, sometimes TV is inconclusive.

''Once the referral goes to the third umpire, it's in his jurisdiction to make that ruling. Unfortunately, in this example, the third umpire was under a lot of pressure because I'm told he didn't have enough evidence to say conclusively one way or the other,'' he elaborated.

''So he kind of had a moral and technical problem on his hands and I really sympathise with that position because I have been in that position before,'' Taufel added.

UNI XC AY HS1110