Skipper Ben Stokes: Controversial umpiring at the Ashes persisted even on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test here at the Adelaide Oval as Australian pacer Mitchell Starc expressed his frustration and opined that the snicko technology ‘needs to be sacked’.
Pat Cummins bowled a sharply directed short ball that climbed awkwardly on Smith, forcing him to hop and fend it defensively. The ball popped up towards first slip, where Usman Khawaja dived forward, prompting a loud Australian appeal for a catch.
The on-field umpire referred the decision upstairs amid doubts over bat or glove contact and whether the catch carried. Replays showed the ball had struck Smith’s helmet, not his gloves, despite a Snicko spike. It also bounced before reaching Khawaja’s hands, leading to an eventual not-out verdict.