CHENNAI: While Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was stealing all the limelight with his stellar show on the field in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam, there was one familiar face behind the boundary ropes that caught the attention. It was of former Tamil Nadu first-class cricketer JR Madanagopal who was acting as the third umpire.
Having made his debut in women’s ODIs back in 2013, Madanagopal stood as an umpire for the first time in a men’s international during the 2021 India-New Zealand T20I at Ranchi. Over the years he has made rapid strides and on Wednesday, he is set to reach another milestone as Madanagopal will be officiating an international match for the first time at his home ground — the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
A smooth-stroking batter for Tamil Nadu in his playing days, Madanagopal has been a coach of TNPL teams and first-division teams of the TNCA in the past. From 2007, he has been in the BCCI panel of umpires. In the third ODI, he will be emulating the likes of S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi, the other former players from the state to have officiated an international match in Chennai.
The exposure Madanagopal got in domestic cricket over the years and his experience in women internationals helped him move up the ladder in the BCCI panel of umpires. He got an opportunity to officiate in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League after being the fourth umpire in the season before and the India-England ODI earlier that year.
His composure is his biggest ally and an important trait that has come in handy for his job. “Right from the first domestic match he umpired, he has always remained calm while umpiring. He concentrates on the job and does not bother who is batting or bowling. He has a clear mind and acts accordingly,” said former India player and commentator L Balaji.
As it has been well established, umpiring in the era of DRS is not easy, especially in front of a large, noisy crowd. There is a lot of distraction and they are always under the lens of the fans, particularly on social media. Madanagopal, it seems, is not affected by any of it. “He (Madanagopal) is a cool guy, he does not worry about anything unnecessarily. He has self-confidence and this helps him handle the job effectively,” pointed out Balaji.