The second T20I between Australia and West Indies at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide bore witness to an extremely bizarre incident as Windies bowler Alzarri Joseph was given not out after being run out.
West Indies are currently on an all-format tour to Down Under, where they took the Aussies in two Tests (which ended 1-1) and three ODIs (which AUS won 3-0).
In the first T20I in Hobart, the hosts won by 11 runs, and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series by defeating the visitors by 34 runs in Adelaide.
However, the game wasn't without its controversies.
MORE: Glenn Maxwell equals world record - Who has scored the most T20I hundreds?
WATCH: Australian players clash with the umpire after Alzarri Joseph given not out
After winning the toss, West Indies opted to field first. At the end of Australia's innings, you can bet that Windies skipper Rovman Powell must have regretted his decision.
Riding on Glenn Maxwell's record-breaking century, Australia posted a mammoth total on the board (241-4), crossing the 200-run mark for the fourth-successive time in T20Is while batting first.
Australia had long won the game before the run out incident occurred. On the third ball of the 19th over of the run chase, bowled by Spencer Johnson, Joseph hit the ball to the cover region and attempted a tight run.
Johnson collected the ball and took the bails off, but Australia didn't appeal for a run out, with the Mitchell Marsh-led team just one wicket away from winning the game.
Johnson had gone back to the spot of his run up, just when the big screen at the venue showed the TV replays of the run out, which clearly showed that Joseph was well short of the crease.
There was an interruption in play as the players, especially Tim David, told umpire Gerard Abood that he had appealed for a run out.
Abood, however, dispelled all the appeals by saying that the team did not appeal for a run out, hence the player will be given not out, even though he was short of his crease.
"Stop, stop, stop. Stop. There was no appeal," Abood's words were captured on the broadcast. "Can we get on with game, guys? Please," the umpire added.
Extremely bizarre scenes were witnessed at Adelaide Oval.
— Udit (@UditKhar) February 11, 2024
Spencer Johnson & Mitchell Marsh attempted a run out against Alzarri Joseph and didn't appeal
Spencer Johnson moved on for his next run up, and later, the big screen showed Alzarri Joseph clearly short of his ground. pic.twitter.com/Y69aFJbY1e
Marsh looked as though he was calming David down, but then Marcus Stoinis and Josh Hazlewood joined in on the act as well, having a chat with the umpire.
"This is ridiculous, guys. There was no appeal. Let's get on with the game," Abood asserted.
The fact that the run out was ultimately not given out didn't alter the outcome of the game as Australia registered a comfortable 34-run win. But this incident is sure to stir up a lot of discussion and debate from both sides in the days to come.
What next for Australia and West Indies?
With the series already wrapped by the hosts, the two teams will square off at the Perth Stadium in Perth for the final game of the tour on February 13.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >