Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Steve Smith Admits Lucky Escape in Controversial Snicko Decision
A cricket team from Australia was playing a cricket team from Bangladesh in a city called Darwin.
A famous Australian batter named Steve Smith was batting.
The Bangladesh players thought they heard the ball hit his bat, and they asked the umpire to check.
The umpire had already said Smith was safe, and a machine called Snicko also showed no clear sign that he hit the ball.
Smith actually thought he might have touched the ball, and he started walking off the field.
But the machine said he was safe, so he kept batting.
Earlier, a Bangladesh fielder had also dropped a catch that would have gotten him out.
Smith scored 71 runs, the most on his team, but Australia still only made 198 runs.
Bangladesh then came out to bat and had 96 runs with only one player out.
Smith said the technology saved him and that he was lucky.
Steve Smith called himself lucky after surviving a caught-behind DRS call on day one of the first Australia-Bangladesh Test in Darwin.
Batting on seven in the 21st over, Smith appeared to edge Ebadot Hossain to wicketkeeper Litton Das, but the on-field umpire ruled not out.
Bangladesh reviewed and Smith began walking off, but Real-Time Snicko showed no spike and the not-out decision was upheld.
Smith admitted he may have nicked the ball, saying 'technology saved me today,' and noted Snicko was a talking point during the 2025-26 Ashes.
Smith top-scored with 71 as Australia were dismissed for 198, with Hasan Mahmud taking 6/55, while Bangladesh reached 96/1 at stumps.
- Who
- Australia batter Steve Smith, the Bangladesh cricket team, and the on-field umpiring and DRS (Snicko) technology.
- What
- Smith survived a controversial caught-behind decision — he began walking off after Bangladesh reviewed, but Snicko showed no spike and the not-out call stood; he then scored 71.
- When
- Thursday, day one of the first Test.
- Where
- Darwin, Australia.
- Why
- Bangladesh believed Smith had edged the ball to the wicketkeeper, but the review found no Snicko spike, so the umpire's original not-out decision stood.
DRS Technology Backers
DRS Critics
The caught-behind decision
DRS Technology Backers
The DRS worked correctly: Snicko showed no spike, so the on-field not-out decision was rightly upheld according to the available evidence.
DRS Critics
Bangladesh appealed believing Smith edged the ball, and Smith himself felt something and thought he was out, suggesting a faint edge may have gone undetected.
Reliability of Snicko
DRS Technology Backers
Technology is 'normally pretty good,' and the flat-line reading in this case provided no evidence to overturn the umpire's call.
DRS Critics
Snicko has been controversial, including during the 2025-26 Ashes, where discrepancies between visuals and audio spikes raised questions about its accuracy, and this incident may show it can miss faint edges.
- Match
- First Test, Australia vs Bangladesh
- Venue
- Darwin, Australia
- Smith's score
- 71
- Australia's first innings
- 198 all out
- Bangladesh at stumps
- 96/1
- Bangladesh's best bowler
- Hasan Mahmud, 6/55
- Smith's age
- 37
- Key review
- Caught-behind off Ebadot Hossain; Snicko showed no spike; not out upheld
