Mass confusion as 'strange' review fails Sri Lanka

Pat Cummins has registered his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket but it came in confusing circumstances at the Gabba.

As Australia closed in on what became an innings victory over Sri Lanka, the paceman continued to rip through the tourists’ batting order after the dinner break.

But his wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne, which ended the opener’s start on 32 and reduced Sri Lanka to 6-79, sparked debate.

Confident that he did not feather the ball through to Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine, Thirimanne reviewed Marais Erasmus’s decision.

With nothing on hot spot, third umpire Michael Gough went to Snicko and found a noise – but only after the ball had gone past the bat.

Despite the difference between the picture and Snicko’s result, Gough told Erasmus to stick with his original decision based on conclusive evidence.

The determination left cricket fans and commentators wondering whether the technology is synchronised or if Gough made a blue – was the noise ball on elbow?

“There was a clear delay from when the ball passed the edge of the bat to when the spike occurred,” Tim Lane said on Channel 7, adding that he did not hear the noise through his headset.

“Now are the umpires acquainted with a sense of understanding the technology? He’s talking about one frame, I don’t quite understand this.”

As Sri Lankan commentator Marvan Atapattu described the dismissal as ‘unfair’ based on the evidence, Greg Blewett wondered if Gough paid enough attention to other sounds.

“A strange one,” the former Australian Test batsman said.

“At times there are little noises that maybe come from a creaky bat handle or a helmet strap hitting the grill, but hard to describe that one.”