Australia started off poorly in their run-chase of 312 against South Africa at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, slipping to 65-5 in the 17th over when Stoinis came to the crease.

Missing out on Australia’s first game of the World Cup against India in Chennai, Stoinis replaced Cameron Green in the XI against South Africa. When he came out to bat at No.7, Australia needed 247 more runs in just over 33 overs, with just five wickets in hand.

Being the last recognised batting pair along with Marnus Labuschagne, Stoinis needed to stick around and build a partnership. However, he managed to last just four balls at the crease before he was controversially given out caught behind.

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Kagiso Rabada, who had already picked up Steve Smith and Josh Inglis, was steaming in and pounding the pitch hard. On the second ball of the 18th over, Rabada bowled a back of length ball that was sliding down Stoinis’ leg side as he tried to glance it. Stoinis didn’t connect properly, only managing a faint tickle off the glove as Quinton de Kock took a brilliant diving catch to his left.

The on-field umpire signalled not out, prompting the South Africans to go up in review. During the review process, the replays showed that Stoinis’ bottom hand was off his bat handle when the ball made contact with his glove. However, the TV umpire, Richard Kettleborough, ruled that his hands were connected to each other when the ball came in contact with Stoinis’ bottom glove.

“His bottom hand is connected to his top hand. Therefore, in contact with the bat and we’ve got a clear spike. Joel (Wilson), I’m gonna have to ask you to overturn your original decision to ‘Out’,” said Kettleborough during the review procedure.

Well this one’s sure to cause a bit of debate…#CWC23 pic.twitter.com/466E6VvnR1

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 12, 2023

The immediate reaction of the commentators and the players involved were that of shock and surprise. “That’s a really odd one there,” said Nasser Hussain on air. “He gloved it. It looked like his one hand is off the handle. The third umpire said that the bottom hand is attached to the top hand. Stoinis feels his bottom hand was off the handle and not touching the top hand, [but] the third umpire thought different.”

“If you look at the split screen there, the bottom hand is a long way away from that top hand. Strange decision,” said Aaron Finch in the commentary box.

Stoinis hung around for a long while discussing the dismissal with the on-field umpires and his batting partner Labuschagne. However, Stoinis ultimately had to make the long walk back as the decision had been made.

With the wicket, Australia’s hopes all but ended as they were reduced to 70-6. A few overs earlier, there had been another contentious review decision when Smith had been given out lbw on review to a ball that looked like it was sliding down the leg side to the naked eye, leading to a reaction of shock from Smith.