The 119th over of India’s first innings witnessed a controversial moment. Pat Cummins delivered a ball that appeared to nick Mohammad Siraj’s bat and went towards the slip cordon. The ball landed near Steve Smith at slip, but on-field umpire Michael Gough wasn’t sure if it had been caught cleanly.
To clarify, Gough referred the decision to the third umpire, Sharafuddaula Ibne Shahid from Bangladesh, during the Melbourne Test. After reviewing the replay twice, Sharafuddaula ruled Siraj “Not Out,” sparking debate over the call.
While the ball had seemingly touched Siraj’s bat before reaching Smith, questions arose about whether it had hit the ground first. The third umpire didn’t take long to make his decision, concluding the ball had bounced. His swift judgment didn’t sit well with Australia. A visibly frustrated Cummins requested a review of the decision. However, field umpires Gough and Joel Wilson dismissed his appeal, stating that the decision couldn’t be reviewed again. The exact reasoning for this remains unclear, leaving both Cummins and viewers puzzled.
The decision also caused a stir in the commentary box. Australian legend Adam Gilchrist voiced his surprise, saying, “Interesting. I’ve never seen anything like this before. You (the umpire) referred it to the third umpire, but now I (Cummins) want to review it. I think this needed closer inspection.”
Ravi Shastri, another commentator, echoed the sentiment, criticizing the haste of the decision. “The third umpire ruled that the ball touched the ground after hitting the bat. But the decision was made very quickly—too quickly. Only two replays were reviewed.”
Fortunately for Australia, their frustration was short-lived. Just three balls later, Nathan Lyon dismissed India’s last batter, Nitish Kumar, wrapping up the first innings.
