Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith could have cost England a crucial wicket after he gave himself up on a contentious review, after edging a Brendan Doggett delivery to Alex Carey.

In the 28th over of their second innings with England 6 for 104 and leading by 144, Smith was given not out, after a ball went down the leg side past his bat.

However, Australia heard two noises and Steve Smith opted to review after an appeal from Travis Head and Carey.

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Third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat took four minutes to come up with a decision, but Smith started to walk after first seeing a spike, before returning to the field, which ultimately could have cost him his wicket.

This despite replays proving inconclusive that he definitely hit the ball, with the spike on snicko not matching up with the moment the ball went past the bat.

“I can see a spike just as the ball has gone past the bat, I am satisfied the ball has made contact with the bat,” Sharfuddoula said.

“You will need to change your decision from not out to out.”

“It took four minutes, Smith walked and then stopped and now he has to make the long walk, Doggett gets the wicket and England are seven down,” Mark Howard said on Fox Cricket.

Mark Waugh was shocked with the decision in commentary, but felt Smith gave himself away.

“Wow,” Waugh said.

“I think Smith gave it away then, I don’t think the umpire would have been convinced he had hit that if he had stayed there.”

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Jamie Smith gave himself up by walking off.Source: FOX SPORTS

Michael Hussey agreed Smith was his own worst enemy after walking.

“That’s where I am a bit confused as well because the spike looked like it came after the ball had passed the bat,” Hussey said.

“Smith walking off before the decision was made was a bit of a giveaway that perhaps it hit the bat, so it is going to cause some controversy.”

Waugh doubted there was enough evidence to overturn the on-field decision, but Smith walking proved to the umpire he had hit it.

“Travis Head called for it and Alex Carey was pretty confident too there was some sort of noise,” Waugh said.

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“But you have got to think if it takes that long to make a decision there is some doubt there.

“But when Smith walked off, I think that convinced the umpire.”

Hussey agreed Smith looked nervous from the moment the decision was reviewed.

“He looked guilty, when they first referred the decision he was looking a little bit worried there,” Hussey said.

“Then he saw the spike so he thought, I’m gone I will walk off.

“But as the ball went passed the bat there was a little gap. It didn’t seem to match up.”

Michael Vaughan felt the review went for too long given Smith walked.

“That went on too long, I think if you’re a third umpire you need to look at body language,” Vaughan said on BBC radio.

“Jamie Smith just walked off, that was not the body language of a man who is innocent.”

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Simon Taufel backed the third umpire’s decision to give Jamie Smith out on Channel 7.

“The conclusive evidence protocols with RTS – if you get a spike up to one frame past the bat, that is conclusive. And in this particular case, that is exactly what was there,” Taufel said.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t want to pull the trigger quite as quickly as perhaps he could have or should have. And the guys in the truck were doing their utmost to show him and to slow it down and to try rocking and rolling that frame.

“For me, the correct decision was made. A spike RTS after one frame past the bat, the batter has got to go.”

Social media lit up with pundits debating the crucial decision.