"Have To Applaud...": Ravichandran Ashwin's Interesting Take On Steve Smith's "Non" Run Out

The Day 2 of the ongoing second Ashes Test between England and Australia grabbed a lot of eyeballs after Steve Smith survived a close run-out call. Smith was clearly out of the crease when wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow had hit the stumps. However, Smith was declared not out by the third umpire, as per the MCC rules. This decision invited a lot of controversy as many cricketers and fans expressed their opinion regarding the same. However, India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin backed third umpire Nitin Menon for making the "right decision".

Taking to Twitter, Ashwin wrote, "What's with the Ashes and substitute fielders. #ashes2023 #ashes2005 #garypratt #georgeeahlam. Have to applaud Nitin Menon for making the right decision."

What's with the Ashes and substitute fielders. #ashes2023 #ashes2005 #garypratt #georgeeahlamHave to applaud Nitin Menon for making the right decision

On the day two of the fifth Ashes series, Smith was saved from a run out on the "benefit of the doubt" to batter. At first, it seemed that Smith was short of his ground. But, after seeing replays, umpire Nitin Menon ruled that the bail was not completely dislodged from both grooves of Jonny Bairstow until Smith was in his crease. Bairstow had knock off a bail with his arm and when the ball reached on his grooves, Smith was in the crease.

Under the Laws, the bail has to be completely removed. Law 29.1 states: "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