Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal sparked a controversy on the final day of the Boxing Day Test as the young opener was given out despite no edge being registered on the Snicko. The third umpire’s decision drew flak from former Indian cricketers and fans on social media. Jaiswal attempted a hook shot but miscued it off pacer Pat Cummins’ short-pitched, down-the-leg delivery, and the batter was initially given not out by on-field umpire Joel Wilson after Australia appealed for a caught-behind dismissal. Cummins went for a DRS where no spike was shown on the snicko, but third umpire Saikat Sharfuddoula ruled him out, adjudging that there was a deflection off Jaiswal’s gloves/bat based on the visual evidence.
Jaiswal walked back towards the pavilion after scoring 84, leading to chants of “cheater, cheater” for the hosts around the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Former umpire Simon Taufel gave his verdict on the controversial decision and said Saikat made the right call.
“In my view the decision was out. The third umpire did make the correct decision in the end,” Former ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel told Channel 7.
Taufel asserted that when there is a clear deflection off the bat then there is no need to check it from other technology to prove it right.
“With the technology protocols, we do have a hierarchy of redundancy and when the umpire sees a clear deflection off the bat there is no need to go any further and use any other form of technology to prove the case. The clear deflection is conclusive evidence. In this particular case what we have seen from the third umpire, is they’ve used a secondary form of technology, which for whatever reason hasn’t shown the same conclusive evidence of audio to back up the clear deflection,” he added.
Jaiswal was going strong in the middle and seemed to steer India to a draw before the visitors lost wickets in clusters in their chase of 340, eventually going down by 184 runs.
Taufel was clear in his mind that the third-umpire made the right decision.
“In the end the third umpire did the right thing and went back to the clear deflection and overturned the umpire field. So, in my view correct decision made,” he added.
Sunil Gavaskar livid after Yashasvi Jaiswal ‘wrongly given out’
Meanwhile, batting great Sunil Gavaskar was livid with the third umpire’s decision and reckons it was nothing more than an ‘Optical Illusion’.
“There would probably be conversations with the match referee and the umpires. If the technology is not to be taken, the evidence of the technology is not to be taken, then why have it at all? That is something that will definitely be the query as long as the Indians are concerned. Yes, it looked as if it might have gone off the gloves, but that can be Optical Illusion. Often, we see that when the ball is brand new, it goes near the edge of the bat and then moves away. And that is something the optical illusion from those watching here is that it has taken a nick,” Gavaskar said while commentating on Channel Seven.
