The India-Pakistan match lived up to its hype, as the team led by Rohit Sharma won on the final ball. India remained competitive thanks to Kohli’s superb 82* as they chased 160. India needed 16 runs from the final six balls in the final over, which produced a lot of tension. Virat Kohli was bowled off a free hit, he got two extras, Virat Kohli got three byes, and Ravichandran Ashwin ended the game with a cool single.

First, Nawaz foxed Pandya, who mistimed a flat delivery, to get the Pakistan team on its feet. Dinesh Karthik, a newcomer, took a single as India needed 15 runs from four balls. Nawaz bowled a wide yorker with left-arm medium pace from spin to deny Kohli a boundary, but he managed to steal a two thanks to his excellent running.

Kohli made a dramatic appeal for a no ball after hitting a waist-high full toss over deep square leg on the very next ball. Umpire Rod Tucker was left at the bowling end to announce a no ball because Marais Erasmus at square leg did not make any indications.

After some discussion, the two umpires calmed down, and Nawaz bowled a wide in the next ball to keep Kohli out of his reach.Kohli would have walked back to the dressing room after getting bowled if the free hit hadn’t been saved by the wide. Instead, the pair vigorously ran for three.

The Pakistan team was dissatisfied with the decision and asked if it was a dead ball.

Now, the legendary umpire Simon Taufel has discussed the matter publicly.

“After the exciting climax to the India v Pakistan match at the MCG last night, I’ve been asked by many to explain the Byes that India scored after Kohli was bowled off the free hit, The ICC Playing condition is below. The umpire made the right decision in signalling Byes after the batters ran three following the ball hitting the stumps and rolling down to 3rd man. For a free hit, the striker cannot be out bowled and therefore the ball is NOT dead on hitting the stumps – the ball is still in play and all conditions under the Laws for Byes are satisfied.”

Simon Taufel wrote on LinkedIn.

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India next plays Netherlands on Thursday.