Joe Root LBW Controversy: HawkEye Founder Explains Technology’s Decision

A contentious LBW decision against Joe Root during the fourth Test match against India in Ranchi stirred controversy, with ex-cricketers and fans questioning the accuracy of the DRS review.

During England’s second innings, a delivery from Ashwin struck Root’s pads, prompting India to review the umpire’s decision. Although replays indicated that the ball potentially pitched outside the leg-stump, the technology upheld the decision, leading to widespread debate.

Paul Hawkins, founder of HawkEye, addressed the controversy in an interview with Simon Hughes on “The Analyst” podcast. He explained the method of measuring stump width to determine the pitching line, clarifying the process and emphasizing that the decision was based on precise calculations.

The Joe Root lbw explained with HawkEye founder Paul Hawkins. Listen to the full interview on our latest podcast https://t.co/yHQ6qjlWeu pic.twitter.com/tEcdFeM6Eu

— simon hughes (@theanalyst) February 27, 2024

“So, firstly, you measure the width of the stumps on each day. So that then becomes the line between what’s pitched in line and what’s not pitched in line. And it was a very close one. It’s one that in tennis, you will occasionally get a 0 or 0 scenario and tennis have decided that it’s not out until it’s not 0. Mm, it’s 1. So actually, in tennis, we shift the bounce mark just for a presentation perspective. So a 0 becomes a 1, so you can clearly see the mark. But that’s just a presentation thing,” Hawkins said.

Despite the controversy, India secured a significant victory, claiming an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. This win further bolstered India’s position in the World Test Championship standings, elevating their point-percentage to 64.58%. In contrast, England find themselves at eighth place with a mere 19.44% point-percentage, highlighting their struggle in the current WTC cycle.