<P> The third umpire was conceptualized by former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer, and current cricket writer Mahinda Wijesinghe and debuted in Test cricket in November 1992 at Kingsmead, Durban for the South Africa vs. India series . Karl Liebenberg was the third umpire with Cyril Mitchley the on - field umpire, referring the run - out decision in this match . Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to be dismissed (run out) by using television replays in the second day of the Test scoring 11 . </P> <P> In many cases of run out or stumped, the event occurs in a fraction of a second . If the on - field umpires are unable to decide if the batsman is out, they may request the third umpire to ascertain whether the batsman had made it home . The third umpire then looks at various TV replays from different angles, comes to a conclusion, and indicates his decision by pressing the appropriate signal . Originally decisions were conveyed in traffic light style (a red light indicating a batsman's dismissal, a green light not out); it is now common practice to display the decision via the large screen scoreboard, if available . If the umpire is unsure if a batsman is out or not, due to lack of conclusive evidence, the usual procedure is to acquit the batsman, known in cricketing parlance as "the benefit of the doubt". </P> <P> The third umpire may also be called upon if the on - field umpire cannot decide which batsman is out (i.e. they end up at the same end). An example of this was the Third Test between New Zealand and the West Indies in 2006 . </P> <P> A batsman is caught out if a fielder catches the ball on the fly . In some cases the fielder may catch the ball a few inches above ground level . If the umpire's vision is obscured or is unsure if the ball bounced before the fielder caught the ball, he can also refer the decision . </P>

Tendulkar was the first player to be given out by the third umpire in an international game