EXPLAINED: How the West Indies vs Pakistan 2nd Test DRS Controversy Raised Questions Over UltraEdge?

West Indies vs Pakistan: Controversy erupted during the second Test between West Indies and Pakistan after a review involving Pakistani spinner Sajid Khan and a West Indian batter, Justin Greaves, raised questions over the accuracy of the UltraEdge technology.

The incident occurred when a batter was given not out on the field following a delivery from Sajid. Pakistan opted for a review, with the third umpire turning to UltraEdge to determine whether the ball had made contact with the bat. After reviewing the available footage, the third umpire upheld the on-field decision and ruled the batter not out.

The DRS controversy involving Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan continued to generate debate on Day 2 of the second Test against the West Indies at Queen's Park Oval, with the decision not to overturn the on-field call leaving Pakistan frustrated. The incident occurred when Sajid produced a sharply turning delivery that beat the batter's forward defensive stroke and appeared to pass extremely close to the outside edge. Pakistan's players immediately appealed, but the umpire remained unmoved.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam opted for a review, with the UltraEdge replay becoming the centre of attention. While the slow-motion footage suggested there was a visible gap between the bat and ball, the UltraEdge waveform showed a noticeable spike as the delivery passed the bat. Despite the apparent spike, the third umpire determined that it did not conclusively correspond with contact between bat and ball and ultimately upheld the original not-out decision.

However, a closer look at the UltraEdge replay appeared to show a noticeable spike around the exact moment the ball passed the bat. This has sparked debate over whether the spike was caused by a genuine edge or resulted from another source of noise.
The call quickly sparked discussion among fans and cricket followers, with many questioning whether the available technology had been interpreted correctly. The controversy was particularly significant given the audible sound and the spike seen on the UltraEdge during the review.

However, the Pakistani spinner did not allow the contentious decision to affect his performance. The Pakistan spinner responded impressively, continuing to trouble the West Indies batting lineup and finishing with figures of 4/85 from 32.4 overs as the hosts were bowled out for 344.

Pakistan subsequently produced a strong response with the bat, moving to 266/2 and putting themselves in a commanding position. While the DRS decision remained a major talking point, Sajid's ability to bounce back and make a significant contribution with the ball ensured that the controversial moment did not overshadow his overall impact on the contest.

The decision has consequently raised a key question: did the third umpire correctly give the batter the benefit of the doubt, or was it a misjudgment despite the technology seemingly showing a spike?