The third Test of this Ashes series is quickly shaping as The Snicko Game after on-field umpires and some questionable DRS technology led to bizarre scenes in Adelaide.
After the Alex Carey drama that engulfed day one and led to a mea culpa from snicko operator BBG Sports, things only became more perplexing when umpires Nitin Menon and Ahsan Raza started delegating all decisions to the third umpire on day two.
First came an actual review by Australia for the wicket of Joe Root, when the former England captain clearly inside-edged a ball into his pad and then through to Alex Carey.
Given not out on the field, Australia reviewed and the replays showing the ball going into Carey’s gloves were mixed at best, even splitting the legendary wicketkeeping duo of Adam Gilchrist and Alyssa Healy in the Fox commentary box.
Then there was a shocking decision to give Harry Brook out caught down the leg side, only for his review to show the bat a long way from the ball.
And, a few hours later, the chaos truly kicked off in the 44th over when a Pat Cummins bouncer sailed off Jamie Smith to Usman Khawaja at first slip. The Australians went up and the umpires, apparently devoid of any confidence in their own decision making, sent it straight upstairs to check the catch.
Now, it must be said, the ball did not carry cleanly into the birthday boy’s hands, with even the famously and increasingly unreliable replays showing the ball bouncing off the turf a few centimetres short.
Smith was initially correctly given not out, but not for the right reason. (Fox Cricket)
That probably should have been the end of it, but just to make sure, third umpire Chris Gaffaney snuck a peek at the snicko, which we are quickly learning one should never do unless absolutely necessary.
Sure enough, the soundwave appeared out of sync again, as it remained undisturbed despite the ball clearly making contact with his glove before potentially hitting his helmet and deflecting to Khawaja.
The umpire’s review (not the players’ review) as to whether the ball carried, according to umpire Menon, also ruled that the ball had not touched the glove, only the helmet.
“Snicko needs to be sacked, that’s the worst technology there is,” Mitchell Starc was heard saying over the stump microphone.
In the ABC Sport commentary box, former Australia batter and coach Darren Lehmann pleaded for the thermal imaging technology of yore: “Hot spot, where are you?”
Regardless, we thank our lucky stars that it also didn’t carry. The right decision, made the wrong way. Carry on perplexed but with justice served, although former England spinner Phil Tufnell suggested that the trust in snicko was dead and buried.
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“Absolute shambles. What is going on there? It came off the glove and then wasn’t caught anyway,” he said on ABC Sport.
“It’s a bit like when you’re unfaithful to your partner; the trust’s gone and you can never get it back. You can’t get it back no matter how many times you say sorry.
“It’s gone horribly wrong here and set a slightly bad tone.”
And, like a serial cheater, the drama returned with a vengeance.
Snicko questioned after DRS controversy
Two overs later, Smith tried to crush a pull shot.
There was a click as the ball passed the bat and an obviously clean grab from Carey, with no hint of grass involved this time.
Menon once again barely signalled, only shrugging as the Australians appealed furiously, and proceeding to amble over to confer with square leg umpire Raza.
Carey spoke a very clear “How is that?” with his arms aloft as he gathered with his teammates and Travis Head eventually coaxed an on-field decision out of Menon, who said it was out and they were checking if it carried.
Australian players were baffled by the actions of umpires and the technology. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
But, of course, snicko got involved once again, much to Head’s chagrin.
“The world is going mad. What is going on?” he screamed pitch side.
There was still time for controversy though, this time as the contact with the toe end of Smith’s bat appeared to come between frames, meaning a significant spike on snicko appeared a frame later, when the ball was some distance from the rapidly moving willow.
Jamie Smith’s bat passed the ball in between frames. (Supplied: Kayo)
Alas, this time Smith was sent on his way.
It was almost certainly the right call again, but Tufnell summed up the feeling perfectly.
“Absolute chaos,” he said.
“No-one knows where they stand.”