Bridgetown, Barbados – Day 2 of the first Test between the West Indies and Australia at Kensington Oval was dominated by controversy, leaving the match delicately poised. A series of contentious decisions by third umpire Adrian Holdstock overshadowed the cricket, igniting debate and leaving both teams frustrated.

West Indies started the day at 57 for 4, trailing Australia by 123 runs after the visitors were dismissed for a modest 180 in their first innings. A promising partnership between Roston Chase and Shai Hope had the hosts looking to establish a first-innings lead, but the momentum swung dramatically due to several disputed calls.

The first major incident occurred when Chase was given out LBW to Pat Cummins for 44. Chase immediately reviewed, believing he had inside-edged the ball onto his pad. Replays showed a possible deflection, but UltraEdge technology provided inconclusive evidence. Despite the ambiguity, the on-field decision stood, leaving Chase visibly frustrated after his resilient innings. Ian Bishop, commentating at the time, voiced his disagreement, stating that he thought Chase had hit the ball.

Shortly after, Hope, playing his first Test in four years, edged Beau Webster to Alex Carey, who took a diving one-handed catch. Replays suggested the ball may have touched the ground before Carey completed the catch, but third umpire Holdstock ruled in favor of Australia. This decision sparked further outrage, with West Indies coach Darren Sammy expressing his disbelief and the crowd voicing their disapproval.

These two dismissals halted the West Indies' progress, leading to a collapse from 135 for 5 to be all out for 190, handing Australia a slender first-innings lead of 10 runs.

Controversy continued into Australia's second innings when Cameron Green survived an LBW appeal. Replays suggested the ball may have brushed his pad before hitting the bat, but Holdstock ruled otherwise, adding to the West Indies' frustration.

Overall, Adrian Holdstock was the central figure in multiple DRS controversies throughout the day. One instance involved a review for a caught behind appeal against Shai Hope. Despite replays appearing to show the ball may have touched the ground during Alex Carey's catch attempt, the dismissal was upheld. Another contentious moment arose when Roston Chase was initially given not out on an LBW appeal, which was reviewed. While Ultraedge showed a spike before the ball made contact with the bat, the decision was overturned.

Mitchell Starc acknowledged the impact of the umpiring decisions, stating, "One went against us, a couple against them. That's what we have technology for." However, the repeated errors have raised questions about the consistency and reliability of the DRS system.

As play concluded on Day 2, Australia were 92 for 4 in their second innings, an overall lead of 82 runs. The match hangs in the balance, with Australia looking to build a substantial lead and West Indies aiming to capitalize on any opportunities to turn the game in their favor. The focus will undoubtedly remain on the umpiring decisions as the Test progresses, with both teams hoping for a fairer rub of the green.