Steve Smith’s innings came to a controversial end on day three of the fourth Test between Australia and India, when a tight lbw appeal was upheld following a review. The on-field umpire had initially given Smith not out, but the visiting team opted to review after a loud appeal.
Television replays and ball-tracking technology showed the delivery had pitched on leg stump and turned sharply, striking Smith in front of the stumps. The DRS predicted the ball would have gone on to clip the very top of leg stump — a margin so fine that the system indicated only a sliver of the ball would have made contact.
Under current playing conditions, when the DRS deems less than 50% of the ball to be hitting the stumps, the on-field decision is retained as ‘Umpire’s Call’. In this instance, however, the tracking showed enough contact for the original decision to be overturned, triggering Smith’s dismissal for 47 off 89 balls.
Australia’s batting lineup struggled to recover, losing two further wickets before stumps. Cricket observers noted that Smith, one of the world’s premier batters, appeared stunned by the decision, briefly delaying his walk off the pitch.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of the DRS’s ball-tracking component, with some commentators arguing the technology’s resolution is insufficient to determine such microscopic differences. Others contend the system is working as intended — to correct clear errors while deferring to the umpire’s judgment on marginal calls.
Both Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council have previously defended the DRS framework, though small adjustments to the technology’s calibration have been made periodically.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, commentating on the broadcast, said: “It’s as close as you’ll ever see. In real time you’d never give that out, but the technology says it’s just clipping. That’s the rule.” Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar added that the system “has never been perfect, but it’s the best we have.”