"Hypocrisy at its finest" - Fans react as Ben Stokes drops Steve Smith amid premature celebration and then takes DRS review in 5th Ashes Test

England captain Ben Stokes offered a lifeline to Australian stalwart Steve Smith at the stroke of the lunch break on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Kennington Oval.

Australia were 237/3 at that juncture, with 147 runs needed to win. Moeen Ali arrived to bowl the final over before lunch, and he bowled a fine off-spinner which turned and bounced big on Steve Smith.

Smith tried to defend on the front foot, but the extra bounce ensured the ball edged his glove and went towards leg gully fielder Ben Stokes. The English captain leaped and caught the ball for a moment but then lost control of it during the follow-through. The ball got out of his hands when it came in contact with his knees while he was trying to celebrate.

Stokes' initial reaction suggested that he was aware of his mistake. However, after a while, he asked for a DRS review. The third umpire Nithin Menon analyzed the replays carefully and adjudged it not out.

The interesting incident evoked mixed reactions from fans on Twitter. Many were perplexed by Stokes' decision to take a DRS review given that he seemingly knew he had dropped the catch. A few others felt that he should have maintained his composure and completed the catch before celebrating the wicket, as the drop might cost England heavily.

Here are some of the reactions to the incident:

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Match hangs in the balance after Ben Stokes's drop of Steve Smith as Australia still need 146 runs

Play began after a slight rain delay on Day 5, and overnight batters David Warner and Usman Khawaja resumed for Australia with 135/0 on the scoreboard. England had a relatively new ball in their hands after they got the old one changed.

The fresh cherry moved around more than the previous ball. The English pacers found a new lease of life and caused more trouble to the Australian openers in the first hour of the final day.

Chris Woakes bowled a fine spell and dismissed both Warner and Khawaja to give a great start to his side.

Express pacer Mark Wood then sent Marnus Labuschagne back to the pavilion to reduce Australia to 169/3. England looked to be in control with the ball moving around in the overcast conditions.

Steven Smith (40*) and Travis Head (31*), however, played sensibly and took the visitors to 238/3 before the umpires called for the lunch break.