India's win in the Kanpur one-dayer against England was dubbed 'farcical' by an angry British media, which lambasted umpires Russell Tiffin and Amiesh Sahiba.
India won by 16 runs under Duckwoth-Lewis method in the 49-overs-a-side match that started late and ended early under fading light.
"The ICC is always changing its playing regulations, but one rule that it claims umpires can apply at any time is common sense, something utterly lacking in Kanpur," wrote The Daily Telegraph. "...You could understand their (England players') anger at seeing their best chance of winning a game in this series disappear at the click of a light meter," it said.
Putting the blame squarely on Tiffin —– the senior of the two officials — the newspaper said the match could have done with a shorter lunch break, as suggested by Pietersen and England coach Peter Moores.
"He (Tiffin) should have shortened the lunch interval, which umpires can do," the paper said. "Their biggest mistake was made at the start, when Tiffin announced that the match would be 49-overs-a-side."
The Guardian was also scathing in its criticism of how the game went about and said, "The match was delayed by 45 minutes for morning mist, but nonsensically the overs were reduced only by one over per side to 49. "Appoint an umpire called Tiffin to a match involving India and England and it is to be expected that he comes over all 'old colonial' and stops for tea at 4.30," it said.
{{/usCountry}}The Guardian was also scathing in its criticism of how the game went about and said, "The match was delayed by 45 minutes for morning mist, but nonsensically the overs were reduced only by one over per side to 49. "Appoint an umpire called Tiffin to a match involving India and England and it is to be expected that he comes over all 'old colonial' and stops for tea at 4.30," it said.
{{/usCountry}}The Times said the officials surprised one and all with their decisions despite being well aware of the weather conditions in Kanpur. "Questions need to be asked over why the game was allowed to end before time. Anybody who has been in Kanpur this week knew that the light starts to fade around four o'clock in the afternoon.
The Daily Mail described umpires' decision "crass" and wrote, "Cricket's capacity to shoot itself in the foot knows no bounds and the farcical end to the third one-day international was another example of rules and regulations holding sway over the interests of spectators and common sense.