Talking point review system: The umpires line

Halfway into the first session,England had Australia on the mat. The visitors were 131/9 and last man in Ashton Agar was on 6 when Graeme Swann appeared to have brought the innings to an end. As the debutant hung his bat out at the line of the delivery,the off break spun past the edge to keeper Matt Prior,who collected the ball and broke the stumps,appealing for a stumping. Kumar Dharmasena called Erasmus in and the stumping seemed close. Agar had dragged his foot out of the crease and it was uncertain whether he had any part of the foot behind the crease. However their was no conclusive proof either way and Agar after a long deliberation got a life. England would live to regret this decision.

Cold spot

mitchell starc had got Joe Root strangled down the leg side and was on a hattrick when Aleem Dar,who had initially given Jonathan Trott the benefit of the doubt to a lbw appeal from Mitchell Starc,was forced to overturn his decision after Australia skipper Michael Clarke reviewed it almost instantly.

There was no doubt the inswinging ball had both pitched and hit Trott in line with the stumps,Trott and probably Dar believed there had been an inside edge. Erasmus once again made a decision based on marginal evidence.

There was no side-on Hot Spot available it had been used to show the wicket of Joe Root,caught behind,off the previous delivery. Since you cant play and record Hot Spot at the same time only slow motion and the front-on hot spot was available. While the infra-red technology didnt show anything,the video gave the impression of a sharp deviation after the ball passed the bat.

Erasmus however believed the deviation was the natural swing and Australia had the wicket.