From Cameron Green's catch in the first Test to Jonny Bairstow's stumping in the second Test, the ongoing Ashes between England and Australia has been full of controversies. On Day 2 of the ongoing fifth and final Test at The Oval, the fans witnessed another controversy erupt when Australia batter Steve Smith survived a close run out call, with some help from TV umpire Nitin Menon. In the 78th over of Australia's first innings, Smith seemed to have fallen short when England's substitute fielder George Ealham and Bairstow combined to affect a run out.
The decision was referred to Menon, who after watching multiple angles came to a conclusion that Bairstow had removed one of the bails even before getting his hands on the ball.
While Smith was walking back to the dressing room, Menon gave the decision in his favour.
The decision received mixed reviews from the fans. While some lauded Menon for making a tough decision, others took a cheeky "Virat Kohli" dig at him.
Here's how Twitter reacted:
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) released a statement to explain the reason behind Menon's decision.
"The wicket is broken when at least one bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or one or more stumps is removed from the ground.
"Tom Smith's Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC's official interpretation of the laws of cricket, adds: "For the purposes of dismissal -- a bail has been removed at the moment that both ends of it leave their grooves."