Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has defended the decision-making of third umpire Sharfuddoula during the controversial dismissal of Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal on the final day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The incident, which played a crucial role in Australia’s 184-run victory, has sparked heated debate, with many in the Indian camp expressing displeasure.
Jaiswal was caught behind off a short delivery from Pat Cummins while attempting a hook shot. On-field umpire Joel Wilson gave the decision as not out, prompting Australia to review. Although Snicko did not detect an edge, the third umpire overturned the on-field decision, citing visual evidence of a deviation in the ball’s trajectory.
Taylor dismissed the controversy, asserting that the right call had been made. “To me, there is no controversy. You can see from that replay that he clearly edges the ball, and there is a clear deviation,” Taylor told Nine’s Today. “The people who find controversy are looking for controversy. Australia took 10 genuine wickets yesterday and thoroughly deserved the win.”
He also addressed the reliability of technology in such decisions, suggesting that Snicko is not infallible. “Things like Snicko, and all the technology, are not 100 percent, and everyone knows that,” Taylor said. “Particularly Snicko, when you’ve got a stump mic, which is in the base of the stumps, and you’ve got a batter who edges the ball some two metres away up above his head… you may or may not hear that through the stump microphone.”
The decision to dismiss Jaiswal proved pivotal, extinguishing India’s hopes of salvaging a draw as Australia regained momentum to close out the match and secure a 2-1 series lead. Despite criticism from figures like Sunil Gavaskar and BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla, Taylor firmly backed the third umpire, emphasizing that the evidence supported the call.
