The 2025-26 Ashes series witnessed its first major controversy on Saturday when England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith was given out following a delayed DRS decision that left players and fans bewildered during the first Test at Perth Stadium.
The Controversial Moment Unfolds
The incident occurred in the 28th over of England's second innings when Smith attempted to pull a short delivery down the leg side from Australian bowler Brendan Doggett. The English batter found himself cramped for room during the shot and ultimately edged the ball into the waiting gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Initially, on-field umpire Nitin Menon ruled the delivery as not out. However, following strong appeals from Australian fielder Travis Head at short leg and subsequent discussions, stand-in captain Steve Smith decided to use the team's review. What followed was a dramatic sequence of events that would become the talking point of the match.
DRS Drama and Confusion
As the third umpire, Saikat Sharfuddoula from Bangladesh, began reviewing the footage, Jamie Smith initially started walking back to the pavilion when the Real Time Snickometer (RTS) detected a faint sound in the first replay. However, the English batter abruptly turned around and returned to the crease when it appeared the spike had occurred after the ball had passed his bat.
"As the ball passes, there is nothing there. The ball already passes the bat," Sharfuddoula was heard commenting during his review process. Despite this initial observation, the umpire took an unusually long time to make his final decision, carefully examining multiple replays from different angles.
After extensive deliberation, Sharfuddoula concluded, "I can see a spike as the ball has just gone past the bat. I am satisfied the ball has made contact with the bat." This led to Menon reversing his original not-out decision, forcing Smith to finally depart the field amid growing controversy.
Expert Analysis and Technology Debate
The decision prompted immediate reaction from cricket experts, with former international umpire Simon Taufel weighing in on the controversy. Taufel defended the eventual outcome while highlighting the technological challenges involved.
"This is the difficulty when we have two types of edge-detection technologies around the world," Taufel explained. "Primarily, we use Hawkeye Ultra-Edge. In Australia, it's one of the few countries in the world to use Real-Time Snickometer."
The renowned umpire further elaborated on the technical aspects, stating, "It's very difficult to come into a series with limited experience around how to judge RTS, but the conclusive evidence protocols with RTS [are that] if you get a spike up to one frame past the bat, that is conclusive. And in this particular case, that is exactly what was there."
Taufel acknowledged the delay in decision-making, noting that Sharfuddoula "didn't want to pull the trigger quite as quickly as perhaps he could have or should have," but ultimately affirmed that the correct decision was made according to the technology available.
Match Impact and Aftermath
Smith's controversial dismissal proved crucial as England collapsed to 164 all out, significantly damaging their chances in the Perth Test. The timing of the decision and the manner of dismissal left the English camp frustrated, adding another chapter to the storied Ashes rivalry.
The incident has reignited debates about the consistency of DRS technology across different cricket-playing nations and the interpretation of evidence by third umpires. With Australia being one of the few countries using Real-Time Snickometer instead of the more widely adopted Hawkeye Ultra-Edge, questions have emerged about whether all teams are playing with the same technological parameters.
As the Ashes series moves forward, this controversial decision is likely to remain a talking point, potentially influencing how both teams approach future DRS reviews and how umpires interpret marginal decisions involving the snickometer technology.
