The Boxing Day Test was marred by controversy when India’s top scorer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, was controversially given out caught behind by the third umpire. The decision, which overturned the on-field call, was made despite the Real-Time Snickometer (RTS or Snicko) showing no evidence of an edge.
The incident occurred on the fifth ball of the 71st over. Pat Cummins bowled a short delivery down the leg side, which Jaiswal attempted to hook. The ball went directly to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, prompting Cummins to appeal. On-field umpire Joe Wilson ruled not out, leading Australia to review the decision.
Third umpire Sharfuddoula spent approximately five minutes analyzing slow-motion replays of the ball passing close to Jaiswal’s gloves before consulting Snicko. The technology showed no conclusive spikes to suggest contact with the gloves or bat. Despite this, Sharfuddoula instructed Wilson to overturn his original decision and declare Jaiswal out.
The decision sparked outrage among a section of Indian fans, who had seen Snicko’s inconclusive result displayed on the big screen. When Wilson raised his finger, chants of “cheater” echoed around the ground. Yashasvi Jaiswal, visibly upset, engaged in a brief exchange with the umpires before reluctantly leaving the field.
The Jaiswal dismissal. The crowd is not having it. Been chanting non stop for 10 mins now #BGT #BoxingDayTest pic.twitter.com/3WsqHipNbI
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) December 30, 2024
Adding to the debate, later images from Hawk-Eye, the ball-tracking technology used for LBW reviews, showed a clear deflection toward the leg side as the ball passed Jaiswal. This fueled arguments from Indian analysts questioning whether the third umpire had sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision, given Snicko provided no definitive proof. Cricket’s rules allow the third umpire to make such judgments in contentious situations, but this one favored Australia.
Jaiswal’s dismissal for 84 left India struggling at 140/7, with over an hour of play remaining in the day.
