A Twitter user points out a flaw in the Virtual Eye projection during a DRS call by India

Day 3 of the ongoing third Test match of the four-match Border Gavaskar at Sydney Cricket Ground saw Australia bossing over India. The hosts triumph over the visitors as they showed discipline and character while bowling along with a decent job by the batsmen towards the end of the day. However, a review by India also sparked controversy as a Twitter user questioned the credibility of the Virtual-Eye projection.

Resuming the day at 96/2, India was going strong with Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara smacking the ball well in the middle. However, Pat Cummins gave the much-needed breakthrough to his team as he cleaned up the opposition captain. Rahane was soon followed by Hanuma Vihari who went back to the pavilion after facing 38 balls and scoring 4 runs.

The presence of Rishabh Pant in the middle brought some runs and momentum for India as he scored 36 runs off 67 balls. However, Pant’s wicket initiated a collapse of the batting line-up as India soon went from 195/4 to 244 for 10. India was thus skittled for just 244 runs Cummins picked four wickets and Australia managed to take a crucial 94-run lead.

The Indian contingent was marred with injuries while bowling in the third innings. While Rishabh Pant was sent for an elbow scan, Jadeja also refrained from taking the field as he was hit on the thumb while batting. Despite losing their main spinner, the visitors didn’t lose hope and managed to send both the opposition batters back to the pavilion at a mere score of 35 runs.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne stitch a crucial partnership for Australia

However, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith stepped up once again to help their team and stitched a crucial unbeaten partnership of 68 runs. Smith was soaring high on confidence after smashing a ton in the last innings but India had hoped to claim the wicket of the batsman in the 12th over only as they took a review on the first delivery bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin on Day 3.

Smith was trying to attempt a sweep shot against Ashwin but missed the line and the ball stuck low on the pad. Captain Rahane was reluctant to go for review but Ashwin was pretty much confident and the skipper showed faith in his bowler.

Though the decision came in the favour of the batsman, there was no loss to India as they retained the review as the ball was clipping the stumps. However, a Twitter user questioned this decision as he spotted an inconsistency between the graphic of the ball’s path and the actual image of the shot on which it had been overlaid. The graphic shows that the stumps are shifted slightly.

“They’ve clearly overlaid the stumps here incorrectly. Look where the off stump is on the graphic compared to in reality,” the Twitter user pointed out.

They've clearly overlaid the stumps here incorrectly. Look where the off stump is on the graphic compared to in reality pic.twitter.com/qFbYXgTyf8

— iBlatant (@iBlatant) January 9, 2021