Bizarre review changes tide of Test match

Nathan Lyon thought he was out. New Zealand thought he was out. Everyone watching the replays thought he was out.

Everyone, that is, except one person: third umpire Nigel Llong.

Live scores: Australia v New Zealand - Third Test

All but Llong believed Lyon nicked an attempted sweep shot onto his shoulder, the ball popping to gully where the catch was completed on day two of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide.

Umpire Sundaram Ravi gave it not out. So the Kiwis asked for a review.

Lyon initially stood his ground as third umpire Llong watched replay after replay, from angle after angle.

But when Hot Spot replays showed up a guilty spot on the edge of Lyon's bat, the Australian started walking off.

He made it three-quarters of the way to the shed. But, as the minutes dragged by, he stopped.

More replays were shown.

The audio-visual technology Snicko failed to report a sound.

But then, again, came what seemed like proof: the Hot Spot replay.

Bizarrely, Llong then ordered the ball-tracking replay which is used to determine lbw verdicts. Equally bizarrely, the wrong footage was shown - of Lyon facing a different delivery to the one in question.

So, again, they turned to Hot Spot replays.

Everyone watching could see the spot on Lyon's bat where the ball hit it. Llong saw it too. But he wasn't convinced.

"It's a mark on the bat but it could have come from anywhere ... give it not out," Llong informed controlling umpire Ravi.

Llong's comment was instantly ridiculed.

"Did he hit a wasp flying by? Butterfly?" said incredulous Nine Network commentator Ian Smith.

Shane Warne called it a "horrible" five minutes of cricket.

"Obvious mark on hot-spot, Lyon clearly hit the ball on to his shoulder & he walked off the ground. Ridiculous waste of time & wrong decision," Warne tweeted.

Ian Chappell couldn't believe his eyes.

"The batsman gave himself up. He walked off," Chappell said on Nine's commentary.

New Zealand players offered wry smiles - at the time, they were in control: Lyon was yet to score, Australia 8-117, well shy of their first-innings total of 202.

But the Kiwis weren't laughing later as Lyon and Peter Nevill benefited from a decision that could decide the series - they put on 74 runs for the ninth wicket, Lyon making 34, to drag Australia back into the Test.

The home side eventually made 224 runs to hold a slender 22 runs after two days of dramatic action.