Australia dashed Pakistan’s aspirations for their first Test win in Australia since 1995 by showcasing an aggressive batting performance on Day 4 of the Boxing Day match, surging their lead beyond 300. Commencing the day at 187/6, Alex Carey guided the lower order, securing a crucial half-century and setting a target of 317.
However, their dominance could have been further amplified if not for a controversial decision involving DRS technology that dismissed skipper Pat Cummins at 16.
In the 77th over, Cummins fell victim to an Aamer Jamal delivery that sharply swung back, seemingly evading Cummins’ inside edge and reaching the keeper. Despite the lack of audible evidence supporting the dismissal, Pakistan opted to challenge the on-field not-out decision using the DRS.
Hotspot technology failed to detect any edge in the replays, emphasizing the visual gap between Cummins’ bat and the ball. Yet, the conclusive evidence appeared to be a faint spike on snicko, signifying a contact between bat and ball milliseconds after passing the bat.
— Travis Head (@TravisHead8441) December 29, 2023
This decision, deemed sufficient to confirm Cummins’ dismissal, left the Australian skipper disheartened, while Jamal couldn’t suppress a chuckle upon the decision being displayed on the screen. Meanwhile, cricket enthusiasts on Twitter expressed frustration with the contentious use of technology in the sport.