South Africa had a DRS review for lbw shot down in controversial circumstances in the second ODI against Pakistan, with the TV umpire deeming there had been an inside-edge, despite UltraEdge suggesting the ball had hit pad first.

The incident occurred in the third over of Pakistan’s chase of 342 to win. The Proteas had made a good start to their defence, with Lungi Ngidi nipping out Imam-ul-Haq in the second over, and sniffed the chance for another breakthrough when Kagiso Rabada struck Fakhar Zaman on the pads.

Temba Bavuma chose to send the decision upstairs, with a lengthy review following. Initial replays suggested Zaman had got an inside-edge onto his pad, but UltraEdge detected a noise as the ball passed the opener’s front pad, and before it reached the bat. However, TV umpire Adrian Holdstock ruled Zaman had hit the ball, and struck down the review without looking at ball-tracking.

Numerous theories abounded as to what had taken place. Some wondered if a technological error might have seen the front- and side-on frames synced incorrectly. The sound detected by UltraEdge might, in that case, have been ball hitting bat.

(I personally would've checked hawkeye whilst the 3rd umpiring was deciding on this pad-bat first issue, if it isn't getting overturned then it's irrelevant anyway and we can all move on)

— Kieran (@BerbaSpinCric) April 4, 2021

Others suggested the ball had hit pad first, then bat, then pad. On-air commentator Mike Haysman suggested the TV umpire had chosen to ignore UltraEdge on this occasion. “I think he’s ruled on what he saw visually and basically ignored what UltraEdge showed,” he said. “That’s how he called it, and that’s what we called first up.”

pad – bat – pad…. #SAvPak

— Innocent Bystander (@InnoBystander) April 4, 2021

It is not known whether ball-tracking would have projected the ball to hit the stumps. While host broadcaster Super Sport began to show a HawkEye replay, it was stopped before showing the delivery’s projected path and not put back up.

#SSCRICKET #SAvPAK #PAKvSA #Easter  #SAvsPAK #PAKvsSA #AtifAslam #entertainment #DevduttPadikkal #PBKS  #DMKLosingTN #KKR #SRH  #RR  #CSK  #MI  #PBKS  #RCB  #onefamily pic.twitter.com/ZBLf2sn8NN

— Prithvi.v.Bharadwaj (@PrithviMatka) April 4, 2021

DRS has been in focus regularly recently, with the ICC implementing minor changes to the Umpire’s Call protocol after India captain Virat Kohli, among others, had come out against having some decisions given not out despite the ball being projected to hit the stumps.

Australia captain Tim Paine found himself in hot water against India, asking for some “f***ing consistency” after a call went against his side. This moment might add more evidence to those hoping for more wholesale changes to the system.

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