Cricket / Controversy erupts over Paine's run-out decision, Cricket Australia shares video

Cricket Desk: Australia’s Test skipper Tim Paine is backed with massive luck on Day 1 of the ongoing highly-anticipated Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After surviving a close DRS review due to Umpire’s call, Paine managed to not get run-out as his counterpart Cameron Green had almost sold him down the river.

The toss went Australia skipper Paine’s way and he elected to bat first. The Indian pacers were at their usual best at MCG in the morning session as they went all guns blazing against feeble Australia’s batting line-up. Jasprit Bumrah gave the first breakthrough to the team as he scalped the wicket of opening batsman Joe Burns who was coming after scoring a half-century at SCG.

This was followed by Ravichandran Ashwin rattling the oppositions by picking two priced wickets including Matthew Wade and ICC’s number one ranked Test batsman, Steve Smith. In the 42nd over, Bumrah again returned in the attack to clean up Travis Head, who was playing at 38.

The third umpire gives Tim Paine a lifeline by giving a controversial call

The debutant Mohammed Siraj also looked in good touch as he named Marnus Labuschagne as his maiden international wicket in the purest format of the game. Siraj was also at the verge of scalping the wicket of opposition skipper Tim Paine, however, the DRS result came in the favour of the hosts as the third umpire declared it as Umpire’s call, who had originally given a not-out.

Paine got another lifeline in the 55th over as he was involved in a controversial run-out. After playing the delivery by Ashwin towards mid-off, Cameron Green ran to take a single, however, there was plenty of hesitation from Paine’s side but the batsman eventually decided to run. It was a close call as there was no significant proof of whether Tim managed to cross the line before the Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant uprooted the stumps.

The third umpire Paul Wilson decided to give the benefit of doubt to the batsman and Paine got away with this almost run-out. However, Twitter wasn’t pleased with this decision of the third umpire. Many cricket fans accused Paul of being biased with his call as there is a clear visual that the bat isn’t over the line when the bails were disturbed. However, the umpire gave his decision on the basis of another frame where there is an illusion of bat over the line.