Warner's DRS dismissal divides opinion

Test legends Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have shared their views on the controversial wicket of David Warner on the second morning of the final Ashes Test at The Oval.

Warner was out for five, caught behind on review from the bowling of England's express paceman Jofra Archer after third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge ruled the Australian had faintly edged the ball.

But Warner's dismissal was not clear cut with UltraEdge, the sound-based edge detection technology employed by host broadcaster Sky Sports, showing a late spike with the ball near the bat.

Image Id: https://www.cricket.com.au/~/media/News/2019/09/5Warner-ultraedge?la=en&hash=2CDEB3C2F7A0BFF15E8D7C6F60EFF05A20FE7711 Image Caption: A still of the DRS used to give Warner out // SkySports

To add more doubt to the dismissal, shadows on the pitch showed a gap between bat and ball as the audio spike was registered.

Warner's left foot was moving at the time the edge, and his spikes dragging across the ground could have registered on the stump microphones.

The dismissal has divided opinions on social media and in the commentary box, with Warne and Ponting disagreeing with the third umpire's verdict.

But what the legendary pair did agree on was the body language of Warner, who appeared reluctant but not aggrieved as he left the field.

"It was interesting just working out if the noise matched up with when the bat passed the ball," Warne said on Sky Sports. "I didn't think he hit it when you look at all the technology.

"But then his reaction walking off looked like he wasn't all that disappointed, so you have to go on the technology and say maybe he got a tiny feather on it."

Ponting added: "I went off the batsman's reaction. You think about the series he's had, he would have been absolutely desperate to be out there the whole time. When the actual finger went up at the change of decision, his reaction didn't look someone that was that disappointed.

"Everyone heard a noise, the only confusion we can come up with is the little blip on UltraEdge, does it match up at exactly the same time as the ball goes past the bat.

"You would probably argue (the spike) might be before the ball has got to the bat.

"I've got a little feeling he might've hit it, that little smirk on his face was that he knew he didn't get away with it.

"If he was 100 per cent sure he didn't hit it I think we would have seen a more disappointed reaction."

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said his first impression was 'not out'.

"When you first looked at it down the line it looked like a gap between bat and ball, your eyes were telling you gap," Hussain said.

"But when you looked at the technology there was a noise and it (the bat and ball) was away from everything else."

Hot Spot technology, which detects heat signatures generated by friction, is not being used in this series and is not a prerequisite of the Decision Review System, unlike ball tracking and sound-based edge detection technology, such as UltraEdge or Real-Time Snicko.

In 2016, the ICC commissioned the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to review the technology systems used with the DRS, which discovered silicon tape on the edges of bats can disguise nicks on thermal imaging technology.

While Hot Spot is still permitted to be used, it must be funded by the home board or their broadcast partner and given its high cost it is not always used all around the world.

The dismissal, while confusing and controversial, continued Warner's lean run this series.

Warner has amassed just 84 runs this campaign, the least by an opener having batted at least nine innings in Ashes history.

Warner has been out six times to England veteran Stuart Broad, with the other three dismissals to Jofra Archer making all nine dismissals to right-armers operating from round the wicket.

The left-hander's form is in complete contrast to his purple patch in the preceding World Cup, where he scored 647 runs at 71.88 in 10 innings.

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

First Test: Australia won by 251 runs at Edgbaston

Second Test: Match drawn at Lord's

Third Test: England won by one wicket at Headingley

Fourth Test: Australia won by 185 runs at Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval