Was Jamie Smith Out or Not Out in AUS vs ENG 3rd Ashes Test?

The Ashes 2025-26 has once again delivered a thrilling contest between Australia and England, with the early dominance and growing controversies. Australia took an early lead in the series with convincing wins in the first Test at Perth and the second Test at Brisbane, putting England under pressure before heading to the decider in Adelaide.

The on-field performances have already made it into books of records, with the recent one being Nathan Lyon surpassing Glenn McGrath in Test wickets tally, but the series has also seen concerns surrounding the decision-making technology, Snicko. The Snicko controversy has overshadowed the third Test, which first surfaced at the time of Alex Carey’s dismissal.

Was Jamie Smith Out or Not Out in AUS vs ENG 3rd Test?

The issue was already in discussion and has now resurfaced on the third day of the ongoing AUS vs ENG 3rd Ashes Test when England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith was involved in a caught behind dismissal involving Snicko, further triggering frustration among England players.
With Australia holding a strong position in the match and England trying to stay competitive, the Snicko controversy has taken up toll and become a major point of the ongoing 3rd Ashes Test. Today, in this piece, we will examine whether Jamie Smith’s dismissal was out or not and analyze how repeated errors have caused frustration among players.

Jamie Smith wicket quickly became the point of discussion among fans, players, and cricket analysts, and also highlighted the Snicko controversy. Facing Pat Cummins, Smith attempted a pull shot to a short of length delivery outside off stump. The ball was carried cleanly to Alex Carey, and umpire Nition Menon gave it out, but also sent the decision only to check whether the catch had carried or not.

The Snicko then showed a spike as the ball passed the toe end of the bat, and third umpire Chris Gaffaney relied on the technology to confirm the dismissal. However, on replay, there was a visible gap between bat and ball, leaving questions on whether Jamie Smith was out or not. Smith was confident and ready to review had the decision been referred for bat involvement.

Both Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith shook their heads as the decision was confirmed as out. Smith was in terrific form coming into this series and one of the best wicketkeepers in the world. However, his form hasn't been great this series so far.

Australia on Top in 3rd Test

With the conversation on Jamie Smith was out or not ongoing, Mitchell Starc was caught on the Stump mic saying, "Snicko needs to be sacked. That's the worst technology there is. They made a mistake the other day and made another today".

Apart from the Snicko controversy in Ashes, the home team are on top right now. After winning the toss and batting first, Australia posted a strong total of 371, led by Alex Carey’s century and Usman Khawaja’s contributions. England bowlers started well but Australia's lower order put in a tough resistance.

In reply, England struggled against the likes of Starc, Cummins, and Lyon, all of whom are among the best Test bowlers in the world. By the end of Day 2, England were 168 for 7, trailing by over 200 runs. Jamie Smith’s dismissal for 22 further dented England’s hope as they hope to come back into the series.