Tim Paine run out slammed by internet as Shane Warne pans DRS call

The cricket world was up in arms over a controversial moment in the Boxing Day Test where Tim Paine appeared to be given a life.

This is about as close as you can get.

Boxing Day did not quite go to plan for Australia with the side bowled out for 195 despite winning the toss and batting.

The team never looked comfortable with the Indians keeping it tight and some masterful captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane in Virat Kohli’s absence.

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But while India were on top, it looked as though Aussie captain Tim Paine was set to lead another rescue mission.

At 5/142, Paine appeared to have dodged an almighty bullet when he was given not out after a run out sent to the DRS was ruled inconclusive by the third umpire.

A quick single call from Cameron Green saw Paine needing to stretch to reach the line as he scrambled through for a single.

Paine immediately thought he was safe but the footage showed a much tighter decision.

The review took a long time with no conclusive evidence able to determine if Paine’s bat was on the right side of the line.

Being on the line would not be enough as he would have to be across the line when Rishabh Pant whipped the bails off.

But from one angle, it looked to be just short, while the shadow on the other side appeared to save the Aussie skipper as the frame rate was just slow enough to find.

“This is tighter than Ian Thorpe’s wetsuit,” Kerry O’Keeffe said in Fox Cricket commentary.

Eventually the third umpire gave it not out.

”There’s no conclusive evidence to show the bat is on the wrong side of the line, so the bat looks like it could have a bit over the line. My decision is not out,” the third umpire said.

But while the Aussie skipper could only add seven more runs before he was dismissed by Ravi Ashwin, social media erupted over the call.

Very surprised that Tim Paine survived that run out review ! I had him on his bike & thought there was no part of his bat behind the line ! Should have been out in my opinion

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 26, 2020

How the hell that is not out? Line doesn't belong to the umpire anymore, is it? #AUSvIND

— Pritam Sharma (@VanDiablo) December 26, 2020

Third umpire watching the replay before pressing Not out.🤦‍♂️ #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/VUuee69Zfn

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 26, 2020

Genuinely thought that should have been given out. #AUSvIND

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) December 26, 2020

How on earth in the year 2020 do we NOT have super-slow mo cameras as mandatory all around the world?!

We cannot be getting caught in between frames in this day and age. 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ @7Cricket #AUSvIND

— Trent Copeland (@copes9) December 26, 2020

Paine run out! Incredible. No wait, he's given not out. Almost as incredible #AusvInd

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) December 26, 2020

If Paine had gone on to score big, this would have been the turning point. Terrible umpiring overall for the past few months! #AUSvIND https://t.co/2yb61XpszA

— Sohini (@Mittermaniac) December 26, 2020

no mate. Our rules are clear and if the ball is touching the line even by the slightest margin then it’s called in. I had no issue with the Paine call. Really tight but the benefit of doubt should always go to the batsman, in my opinion.

— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) December 26, 2020

Shane Warne was in Fox Cricket commentary and had a second bite at the apple as well.

After panning the call on social media and going on a recent tear against officials, Warne was baffled by the decision.

It comes after he slammed umpire Bruce Oxenford in the first Test and took aim at the BBL umpire after some howlers in recent games.

“I’m still trying to work out if there was any bat behind the line,” Warne said. “Just looking at that again in slow motion, I don’t know if he did have anything behind the line, I think the Australian captain got away with one there.”

Thankfully for India it didn’t hurt too bad.

Fellow Aussie cricket legend Adam Gilchrist said he believed it happened between frames and Paine should have been in trouble.

“Interesting to see if a bowler was bowling and his foot was behind the line, would it be a no ball?” Warne added.

“Like a hawk circling above a field mouse at the moment with these umpires at the moment Warnie?” Gilchrist laughed.

Warne conceded that Paul Reiffel had had a great game so far and that if the umpires do well, they should be praised.

“If the players have a bad game, they get dropped,” he said. “So if the umpires have a bad game, they should get dropped too.

“I look back at the Big Bash we’re having, the Big Bash is such a wonderful competition, but if it’s going to be taken seriously, Cricket Australia must pay for DRS. We can’t have some of the decisions we’re seeing in the BBL at the moment because they’re career killers, people could lose their career from that.”