Marcus Stoinis found himself at the centre of a controversial decision as Australia headed towards their second consecutive defeat in the Cricket World Cup against South Africa in Lucknow.
Pat Cummins' team had already slipped to 70 for five in their pursuit of 312 when Stoinis was given out, caught behind.
Stoinis and his partner at the other end, Marnus Labuschagne, were left dissatisfied with the verdict rendered by the third umpire.
Stoinis had initially been declared not out by the on-field umpire as the Proteas made an appeal. Quinton de Kock, stationed behind the stumps, appeared nonchalant, but Temba Bavuma opted to escalate the matter by requesting a review.
UltraEdge indicated a spike, leading to Stoinis being given out. However, subsequent replays revealed that the spike resulted from the ball contacting a glove that was not on the bat handle, thus the batter should not have been dismissed.
Despite presenting his case to both umpires and Bavuma, Stoinis was obliged to leave the field.
The cricket fraternity was also shocked over the decision.
This incident marked the second occasion when the Decision Review System (DRS) was called into question during the match, the first being against Steve Smith.
Smith found himself bewildered when an lbw (leg before wicket) decision was reviewed. Initially, both the batsman and the on-field umpire had deemed it not out, but the screen displayed three reds, necessitating Smith's departure.
While Stoinis' dismissal did not alter the course of the match, as Australia had already been struggling at 70 for five, it remains a point of contention.
This marks the first genuinely controversial umpire's decision in the tournament thus far.
- Marcus Stoinis
