SA vs IND | 1st Test, Day 4: Ball tracking continues to create confusion in otherwise great contest

Although there has been a fair bit of competition between bat and ball in the ongoing first Test of the series between India and South Africa, the issue of technology in the game has also attracted a fair bit of unwarranted attention from players and watchers of the game.

There were numerous instances of confusion and uncertainty about the hawk-eye that charts the path of deliveries and helps the umpire in making decisions and broadcasters in analysing the game and the issue came to the fore on the fourth day of the Test as well after South Africa wasted a review against Shardul Thakur.

Shardul left a delivery from Marco Jansen on the final ball of the 10th over in India’s second innings only to be hit on the pads. South Africa opted for review as they believed the ball was to hit the stumps. The ball, however, appeared to be missing the stumps on hawk-eye.

The decision was not contentious but subsequent replays of that and following deliveries to KL Rahul showed a bizarre level of bounce on hawk-eye which was not the case in the real-time play.

Earlier, on the third day, the Indian team led by Virat Kohli made clear their dissatisfaction with the lack of display of DRS methodology on the big screen at the venue.

Earlier on the first day, Mayank Agarwal was given out on DRS when hawk-eye suggested that the ball was to hit the stumps. Former players such as Wasim Jaffer questioned the path of the ball shown by the ball tracking and said that the ball at best could have just hit the stumps leading to upholding of the umpire’s decision which was not out.