Watch: Kiwi umpire's controversial decision in Ashes

Moeen Ali of England is stumped by Tim Paine of Australia. Photo / Getty

England are reeling after allrounder Moeen Ali was contentiously given out stumped by Kiwi third umpire Chris Gaffaney in the first Ashes test in Brisbane.

Ali was ruled to be stumped by under-pressure Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine, with his crucial wicket reducing England to 158-6 with an overall lead of 132 on day four.

Gaffaney gave Ali out for 40 off Nathan Lyon after taking a long time reviewing the video footage, despite replays indicating the allrounder's foot may have snuck behind the crease.

"I disagree with that decision. I thought he had something just behind the line and I thought the benefit of the doubt had to go to the batsman," ex-Australian captain Michael Clarke said.

"Paine was the only one that appealed. He was confident straight away.

"But so was Ali. As soon as they referred it, Moeen Ali was very confident that it was in his crease.

"I don't think you can clearly say there is something not behind the line."

Shane Warne disagreed.

"There is not enough reason to do anything other than give that out," he said on the Nine Network.

"I don't think he had anything behind the line whatsoever."

Moeen would have felt even more hardly done by had he realised when Paine last pulled off a Test stumping.

It was just his second Test stumping and first since catching Pakistan's Salman Butt short off Marcus North at Lord's in 2010.

It made up for Paine's missed catch off Lyon in England's first innings.

Paine was a shock call-up for his first Test in seven years despite not scoring a first-class ton since 2006 and keeping wicket for his state Tasmania just three times in the last two years.

He missed 78 matches between Test appearances, an Australian record shared with Brad Hogg.

Benefit of doubt should have gone to Moeen Ali.No way from these replays umpire could have been sure no part of his foot was behind the line. These are the kind of decisions that turn matches. Commentators got it spot on.

— Sumanth Raman (@sumanthraman) November 26, 2017

What do you do when the 3rd umpire gets it wrong .... outrageous decision #ashes @MoeenAli

— Tushar s. Kunder (@KunderTushar) November 26, 2017

Moeen Ali extremely unlucky to be given out there. I thought he had something behind the line.#Ashes

— Chris (@ChrisAndo5) November 26, 2017