Day 4 of the Lord’s Test between England and India witnessed high drama, not just with the bat and ball, but also with the umpire’s finger. Veteran Australian umpire Paul Reiffel found himself at the centre of fan outrage following a series of contentious decisions, particularly those perceived to have gone against India during a tense day of Test cricket.
Controversial call by Paul Reiffel on Shubman Gill ignites debate
The moment that truly set social media ablaze came late in the evening session when India’s young captain, Shubman Gill, was given out caught behind off Brydon Carse. Gill, visibly baffled, immediately went for the DRS, and the replays confirmed his suspicion—the ball had missed the bat by a clear margin. The UltraEdge showed no spike, reversing Reiffel’s on-field call and exposing a glaring error.
At a stage when India were under immense pressure chasing 193 runs for victory, the decision added to the tension and reignited discussions around the quality of umpiring in the longest format.
Fans lambasts Paul for his poor decisions against India
It wasn’t just the Gill dismissal that riled Indian fans. Earlier in the day, Reiffel was accused of inconsistency in his decision-making, especially during India’s bowling innings. A few tight calls that went in England’s favour despite visible doubt led many to believe there was a bias creeping in. The repeated occurrences of debatable rulings caused a stir among viewers, many of whom took to social media to express their displeasure.
Cricket fans didn’t hold back as they took to social media to vent their frustration over what they felt was substandard umpiring on such a crucial day. Several posts mocked the decisions, while others called for greater accountability and use of technology in umpiring roles.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Umpire Paul Reiffel can drive his car through this gap. pic.twitter.com/D7hp8cGOyn
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) July 13, 2025
Appeal to karne de bhdve Paul Reiffel pic.twitter.com/OqIcNBQhoh
— Abhishek (@be_mewadi) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel Against India #INDvsENG#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/aPUVoLYa2j
— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) July 13, 2025
How poor has Paul Reiffel been in this Test. Shocker. Very poor
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) July 13, 2025
Paul Rieffel has been horrendous, favouring England in 50-50s, and always against India when it comes to benefit of the doubt
— Mentalism (@DumDumShiramani) July 13, 2025
Bro Paul Riefel is legitimately racist there is absolutely no other way to explain this
— Ashutosh (@TheBuuing) July 13, 2025
Sad to see the partial umpiring in the Lord’s test by Paul Reiffel.Joe root was plumb out LBW & Reiffel had made up his mind to give not out. When it came to Karun Nair & Shubman Gill he gave it out when it was miles away from the bat. Does racism still exist in cricket #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/XlAkB6Ryrh
— Sanju Samson (@sanjusamson__) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel. Terrible umpiring.
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) July 13, 2025
PAUL REIFEL AT LEAST TRY TO HIDE YOUR BIAS
— Prakhar Sinha (@SinhaPrakhar28) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel has been a terrible umpire throughout the test match. pic.twitter.com/HymiFAVNjf
— Vinay Kumar Dokania (@VinayDokania) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel Umpire #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/XCSYdrFOzZ
— Byomkesh (@byomkesbakshy) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel umpiring is a joke !#INDvsENG #PaulReiffel pic.twitter.com/YvTsKLAPsA
— Ram kapoor🇮🇳 (@Ram1947_) July 13, 2025
Very bad umpiring by Paul Reiffel
😡 pic.twitter.com/4VTJHaPYHs— Choudhary kapil (@Kapilmalik3011) July 13, 2025
This isn’t about DRS – Umpire’s Call. Technology often springs an unusual one from time to time. This is more about Paul Reiffel not giving a decision as plumb as this out on field.
Daylight robbery. pic.twitter.com/OMILAheEkE
— Zucker Doctor (@DoctorLFC) July 13, 2025
From the late 90s Aussie team, there is only one below average cricketer i can remember – Paul Reiffel. Turns out, his level is same as an umpire too – unbelievably one-sided errors, one after the other. #INDvsENG
— Pranesh Chaudhary (@pranesh_zun) July 13, 2025
Dear ICC, when it is Paul Reiffel officiating a match, every team should have 6 reviews..#ENGvIND
— तात्या 🦂 (@MancunianMe) July 13, 2025
Paul reiffel , come on man. Don’t make it so obvious. Don’t ! You malign the sanctity of umpiring. ! Horrendous @ICC #INDvsENG #ENGvIND #TestCricket #Paulreiffel
— Shreyas Bajoria (@Bajoria29) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel Why?? That was clearly looking out in the real time.#INDvsENG #ENGvIND #JoeRoot pic.twitter.com/VsHLj4aJ8i
— 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝗫 (@CricketGlimpseX) July 13, 2025
Even if England appeals for one tip one hand catch, Paul Reiffel will raise his finger to give it OUT
🙏
— Riseup Pant (@riseup_pant17) July 13, 2025
Paul Reiffel is 2020s version of Steve Bucknor. #Cricket
— Cow Corner (@CowCorner183) July 13, 2025
*An English bowler about to start his run up*
Paul Reiffel: pic.twitter.com/fz63hU63gY— HONEST LIVI FAN (@rohancric947) July 13, 2025
Also WATCH: Jasprit Bumrah castles Brydon Carse with picture-perfect yorker on Day 4 of Lord’s Test