India vs SL, Tendulkar vs umpire!

COLOMBO: Gamini Silva is a policeman who once was a respectable all-rounder in Lankan club cricket. Only these days, the 48-year-old seems to be a bit trigger happy. At the receiving end have been Indian batsmen.
On Tuesday, he was at it again. Sachin Tendulkar, who was warming up nicely, having struck a big six off a free hit off Dilhara Fernando, was rapped on the pads by a delivery from the same bowler, which appeared going down the legside.
Up went Fernando in a full-throated appeal and up went Silva's finger. Even India coach Gary Kirsten was found shaking his head in disbelief after watching television replays of the decision.
Silva had been in another horrendous decision during the second ODI at the Premadasa when Yuvraj was declared LBW off an inside edge.
The batsman was shell-shocked and stood his ground for sometime before he dragged himself away to the pavilion. The ICC, which takes a strict view of such acts, pardoned Yuvraj, probably realising the umpire was more at fault.
But the batsman who has been the most affected has been Tendulkar. In all three One-dayers of the ongoing series, he has been adjudged LBW by three different umpires. And all decisions appear to put the umpires in the dock.
At least, television replays suggest that in a big measure, indicating the ball would have missed the leg-stump by a distance.
If it was debutant umpire Kumara Dharmasena in the first ODI, South African umpire Brian Jerling compounded the batsman's agony in the second ODI at the Premadasa.
It wouldn't be fair to say that the umpires have had a bigger impact on the master batsman than the bowlers in the series. For the record, he has been adjudged LBW in all the three matches and his scores read 5, 6, 7.