‘If technology is not helping then don’t know who will': Hardik Pandya on Matthew Wade's debatable LBW

Reacting on Matthew Wade's controvesial LBW dismissal, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya said there was a 'slight spike' on the ultra-edge but it wasn't that visible on the big screen.

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya reacted to Matthew Wade's controversial LBW dismissal in an IPL 2022 match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. It transpired in the third ball of the fifth over in the GT innings when Wade missed an attempted sweep shot off Glenn Maxwell and it hit his pads. The umpire raised his finger but Wade, who was confident that he had got some bat on it, went for the review. The replays, however, showed no big spike when the ball was passing the bat and the third umpire asked the on-field to stay with his original decision of out.

Hardik Pandya of Gujarat Titans (PTI)

Pandya said there was a 'slight spike' on the ultra-edge but it wasn't that visible on the big screen.

"I think it was slightly there (spike) in the ultra-edge. From the big screen, it was not visible. Because you can't fault, if technology is not helping, then I don't know who's going to help," Hardik said at the post-match press conference.

Wade was livid with the decision and vented out his frustration while entering the dressing room. He flung his helmet and smashed his bat, for which he was found guilty of a Level 1 offence according to the IPL Code of Conduct.

"Obviously, it is nothing personal from anybody but technology sometimes helps, sometimes does not. This time it did not help. But most of the time it has worked and kind of over-turned decisions and most of the time the right decision has been taken," Pandya added.

GT, who have already made it to the play-offs, went down by eight wickets to RCB.

Asked about his decision to hold back pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson, Hardik said: "We wanted to give Lockie the opportunity, but the wicket was holding a bit. So we wanted to go for bowlers who bowled slower ones and took pace off the ball."

"In hindsight you can say this guy didn't ball, that guy didn't ball, but at that point we did what we felt was right. We were always there in the game but that one over with Maxwell coming and scoring 18-ball 40 took the game away from us.

"Otherwise no matter who didn't bowl or who bowled, we were always there in the game, so for me it was fine," Hardik said.

According to Hardik, being the table-toppers is the "biggest positive" that the team can take while heading into the play-offs.

"The kind of season we had, it was always important to finish in top two because it allows you to have one bad day and give yourself a second opportunity if you are having a bad day," he signed off.