NEW DELHI, Jan 21: Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the umpiring during England’s defeat to India in their opening One-day International, saying the visitors were “robbed”.

The former India captain and record-breaking batsman, quoted in the Hindustan Times newspaper, said of Saturday’s game in Kolkata: “Marcus Trescothick was playing the innings of a lifetime and taking his team to a famous victory, when he was stopped in his tracks by a decision that turned the match in India’s favour.

“Leg-before wicket decisions are never the easiest to give nor are they unanimously accepted by the fielding side or the batting side, but the speed at which they were given made them look worse.

“England were robbed.”

Four England batsmen were out leg before in the first game of the six-match series.

Gavaskar added: “Trescothick was batting superbly and pacing the innings so well that the Indians seemed to have no answer.”

Meanwhile, former England cricket great Ian Botham on Monday urged Nasser Hussain’s tourists to use their anger over the umpiring as a weapon.

“They (England) must use their anger and disappointment to spur them on in the remaining five games,” Botham wrote in the Times of India.

Match-referee Denis Lindsay of South Africa, meanwhile, said he had received a letter from England over the umpring issue.

“It is not really a complaint,” he said. “They (England) have expressed concern. I have forwarded it to the Indian board.”

The ICC is to introduce two neutral umpires for Tests from April and one home umpire and one neutral umpire for one-dayers.

Lindsay also said India will be fined for their slow over-rate in the Kolkata match.—Reuters/AFP