Ashes Drama Erupts as DRS Call Sparks Debate in Perth
So, let me walk you through one of the biggest flashpoints of this Ashes Test so far — a moment that’s already being talked about everywhere, especially across Cricinfo-style discussions. It all unfolded on day two in Perth, and like every great Ashes chapter, it had tension, confusion, and a crowd ready to erupt.
The drama centered around England’s Jamie Smith, who found himself right in the middle of a Decision Review System storm. England were already wobbling at 104-6 in their second innings when Smith went after a short ball drifting down the leg side. Travis Head, stationed close on the leg side, instantly thought he’d heard something. Alex Carey backed him up, and Steve Smith wasted no time going for the review, even though the on-field decision had been not out.
And then came the chaos.
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What followed was nearly five minutes of replays, angles, snicko waves, and a whole lot of confusion. TV umpire Sharfuddoula spent what felt like ages studying Real Time Snicko, which showed what commentators could only describe as a “murmur,” not the usual clear spike you'd expect from a definite edge. At one point it even looked like the faint sound appeared a frame after the ball had passed the bat — normally a sign that the noise wasn’t from the contact.
Even Jamie Smith himself started to walk off, then hesitated as the replays rolled on. Michael Vaughan, watching along like the rest of us, was quick to question how long a decision should take. In the ICC’s own guidelines, the ruling needs to be conclusive, and anything less should mean the original decision stands. Simple enough — in theory.
But then, after the extended deliberation, Sharfuddoula overturned the call. He pointed to a spike appearing just past the bat, and that was enough for him to believe contact had been made. Suddenly England were 104-7, and the boos inside Perth Stadium were almost instant. English fans felt justice hadn’t just been delayed — it had been denied.
To make things even more heated, the moment mirrored one from the previous day when Marnus Labuschagne survived despite a similar faint signal, that time deemed not enough to overturn the original decision. Naturally, questions over consistency were thrown straight into the fire.
Former umpire Simon Taufel later suggested the decision was technically correct under RTS protocols, even though it took longer than it probably should have. But for many watching, the frustration was already baked in. Between the length of the review, the uncertainty in the visuals, and the contrasting call from the day before, the whole moment felt like classic Ashes theatre — messy, emotional, and impossible not to talk about.
And just like that, a faint snick — or maybe not — became the defining controversy of the Test.
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