Mitchell Starc survived an lbw appeal in the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India courtesy of a marginal ‘umpire’s call’ ruling, but the decision has raised a furore over the DRS protocols.

With Australia struggling at 199-9 in the second innings having lost all of their specialist batsmen, Starc failed to read a Ravichandran Ashwin carrom ball and was struck on the pads. The appeal, however, was turned down by on-field umpire Paul Reiffel forcing Ajinkya Rahane to ask for a review.

Ball tracking showed that while the ball pitched and hit Starc’s pads in line, it returned umpire’s call on wickets with the ball clipping the bail between middle and leg stumps. The tracker showed almost 50 per cent of the ball hitting the stumps, which took a few Twitter users by surprise, including former cricketers, journalists and pundits.

But the ball hitting the stumps 😳🙃 …. I going sleep 🛌 absolute Nonsense #AUSvsIND

— Tino95 (@tinobest) December 29, 2020

Come on! This is beyond my understanding…. #AUSvIND

— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) December 29, 2020

Agreed !! https://t.co/h5YN0V1Yip

— Brett Lee (@BrettLee_58) December 29, 2020

I am afraid “umpire’s call” is going to provoke a lot of discussion…..

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 29, 2020

And the umpire has called it not out because he thinks the ball is missing the stumps. Had he thought it was hitting even a part of it he would have called it out. So if the ball is shown to be hitting it has to be declared out. Listen to how @sachin_rt explains this actually.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) December 29, 2020

Not sure how it’s an umpire’s call, half of the ball hitting the bails. pic.twitter.com/Kfhc4tnMro

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 29, 2020

Thats ridiculous. I agree with Brett Lee. Thats OUT

— Sriram Kuppuswamy (@SriramKuppuswa1) December 29, 2020

I don’t see how this went for Umpire’s Call when the ball is clearly (maximum part of the ball) hitting the bails. Anyone who got this please explain! Honest answers appreciated. #AUSvIND #INDvAUS

📸 Cricket Australia Twitter pic.twitter.com/kg7Eu6MHJJ

— Urvi Shah (@unikurvi) December 29, 2020

Everyone after that review 🇮🇳🇦🇺 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WaoVygZRNN

— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) December 29, 2020

This Umpire’s call DRS nonsense is doing nothing other than saving the blushes of these incompetent umpires. Hope @ICC take a look at it and change this rule. It affects both teams. Remove Umpire’s call & back the tech since its atleast consistent through the match.#INDvAUS

— Jai (@Shiva62214490) December 29, 2020

Though the decision didn’t extend Starc’s stay in the middle by much as his partner Josh Hazlewood was clean bowled by Ashwin an over and a run later, it has certainly started a debate which will take some time to subside.

Sachin Tendulkar is among those who have leant their voices to calls to abolish umpire’s call altogether, arguing that if the ball-tracking technology shows the ball hitting the stumps to any extent, a decision of ‘out’ should be returned. There were several close shouts to go against India in the Test, though there were notable calls to go against the hosts too.