Young cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal faced a controversial moment on Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test match. He was declared out by the third umpire at a critical time in the game, with Jaiswal being the last specialist batsman for India as they tried to salvage the match. The decision sparked debates throughout the cricket community as it came after the snicko meter indicated that Jaiswal did not make contact with the ball.
During the 71st over of play, Jaiswal was batting at 84 when he attempted a pull shot but lost his timing. The ball went directly towards wicketkeeper Alex Carey and seemed to graze Jaiswal’s glove.
The on-field umpire, Joel Wilson, initially decided Jaiswal was not out, which disappointed Australian captain Pat Cummins. Cummins opted to review the call using the Decision Review System (DRS).
This is where the controversy deepened. After a lengthy review, the ultra-edge technology showed no evidence of a deflection, yet third umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat ruled Jaiswal out based on visual evidence that suggested a change in the ball’s path.
As the Australian players celebrated, Jaiswal remained in disbelief at the third umpire’s decision. Commentator Sanjay Manjrekar attempted to make sense of the ruling, noting that the reverse angle appeared to show the ball altering its trajectory after potentially touching Jaiswal’s bat and glove.
Manjrekar pointed out that while the snicko meter showed no significant contact, the third umpire prioritized the visual evidence in making his decision. He labeled the umpire’s call as a courageous one, suggesting that most umpires might have opted for a not out decision based on the technology.
“Any other umpire might have trusted the snicko technology, leading to a different conclusion, and that would have been accepted as reasonable,” Manjrekar explained during the match commentary.
