On Wednesday in Lucknow, Australia faced a daunting task of chasing 312 runs. Their innings got off to a disastrous start as both their openers were dismissed in quick succession during the powerplay. However, the presence of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne offered hope to the Australian team, given their track record and their ability to form a reliable partnership in challenging situations.
Their partnership quickly crossed the 20-run mark, and it seemed like another successful collaboration was in the making, until an incident involving Smith and a controversial DRS (Decision Review System) call changed the course of the match.
In the 10th over, Smith faced Kagiso Rabada, who delivered a delivery that struck Smith’s pads. Unfortunately, Smith couldn’t get his bat down in time, and the Kookaburra ball hit him on the knee roll. This prompted a loud appeal from the opposing team.
However, the umpire, Joel Wilson, remained unmoved, as the ball appeared to be bouncing over the leg stump and angling away. While everyone awaited the Hawk-Eye technology to make the final decision, the large screen suddenly displayed the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump without the usual animations that typically accompanied such replays.
— Ishan Martinez (@IshanMarti66419) October 12, 2023
Rabada was the first to notice this turn of events, and he signaled the outcome with jubilation, while Smith stood his ground, visibly shocked and struggling to accept the decision. The umpire, too, appeared perplexed, as he reluctantly raised his arms to reverse the decision, signaling Smith’s departure back to the pavilion.
