Haren
The controversial Sydney Test in 2008 between Australia and India wasn’t short of drama. The match, apart from being a thriller, is also infamous for a wide array of controversies. The ‘Monkeygate’ spat between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh was perhaps the headliner eventually but there were many moments of drama during the match, and all three umpires involved in the match came under the scanner.
Harbhajan, commentating for Star Sports, revisited a few moments from that match and in scathing criticism of Steve Bucknor, the Indian offspinner said the former international umpire ‘made his debut for Australia’ in that series.
In a video posted by India’s official broadcaster, Harbhajan is speaking over some of the moments from that match. “There were a lot of edges but Bucknor saab didn’t give anything out. There were edges, there were appeals, and at one point Ricky Ponting caught one and gave it out himself.”
When the topic is umpiring during the 2007-08 #BorderGavaskarTrophy, @harbhajan_singh doesn’t hold back! 🫣#AUSvINDOnStar 2nd Test, Day 2 👉 LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/Y7PDGLJHMA
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 7, 2024
Harbhajan added on a sarcastic note: “In that series, Bucknor made his debut for Australia. He played so well in that match for them (…) The only thing he was interested in was being the 12th man.”
In a July 2020 interview with Mid-Day, Bucknor conceded a couple of errors he had made in that Test. “I made two mistakes in the Sydney Test in 2008,” he had said. “Mistake one, which happened when India were doing well, allowed an Australian batsman to get a hundred. Mistake two, on day five, might have cost India the game. But still, they are two mistakes over five days. Was I the first umpire to make two mistakes in a Test? Still, those two mistakes seem to have haunted me.”
As a result of the umpiring errors, Bucknor was removed from officiating the third Test in Perth by ICC. India lost the Sydney Test by 122 runs, despite coming within minutes of managing a draw late on Day 5.
