KL Rahul, who had been looking in good nick, fell to a debatable DRS decision before lunch on the first day of the five-Test series in Perth for 26.

On-field umpire Richard Kettle borough ruled him not out as the Australians appealed for a caught behind off Mitchell Starc. Australia then went for the review and the Snicko showed a spike as the ball passed the bat.

As he walked off, Rahul was upset, displaying a sense of disbelief and indicating that the bat had hit the pad.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden was critical of the TV umpire. “His pad and bat are not together at that point in time as the ball passes. It’s (bat hitting pad) after, in fact, the ball passes the edge. Does Snicko pickup the sound of the bat hitting the pad?” Hayden said.

The front-on replay was inconclusive.

Former international umpire Simon Taufel said on Channel 7, the host broadcasters, that there was no cause for any ambiguity.

“In my view, the ball does graze the outside edge, which has caused the scuff marks, but then the bat goes on to hit the pad,” Taufel said.