The Australian cricket team erupted in joy after what seemed to be an astonishing team catch off Virat Kohli’s first ball on the opening day of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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However, third umpire Joel Wilson ruled it not out.
Kohli edged the ball to Steve Smith in the slips, who dived low to his right and managed to pop the ball up, allowing Marnus Labuschagne to take the catch.
Despite this, the decision was overturned by Wilson, as it appeared that the ball had grazed the ground after Smith’s attempt.
This ruling has sparked considerable debate among fans and experts alike.
Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer believes Kohli was out. “From what I have seen there, that makes it more obvious to me that should have been out. Steve Smith had his fingers (underneath the ball), and you could see he was flicking the ball up, it was brilliant what he did,” he said on 7 Cricket.
“He had his fingers under the ball, he flicked it up deliberately and in my opinion that’s out.”
Ricky Ponting agreed with Langer.
“As far as I was concerned, if (the ball) had’ve come out of (Smith’s) hand, he wouldn’t have been able to scoop it up,” he said on 7 Cricket.
“I think his fingers are clearly underneath the ball … look where his pointer figure is there, it’s still underneath the ball.”
Former Test umpire Simon Taufel on Channel 7 explained why the Virat Kohli first-ball review was hard to judge.
“I think you described it very well when you said that depending upon which side of the fence you sit on you could probably build a case for either decision to be given,” he said.
“Listening to Joel Wilson’s language there, where he said the fingers were underneath the ball and then he’s seen it roll on to the ground, by his own language he is telling us that he believes he’s seeing that ball on the ground.
“So, there are two things that the TV umpire here is looking for. One is fingers underneath the ball. He was satisfied there. But then he believes through those pictures that he’s clearly seen the ball on the ground.
“And here’s the challenge, slowing it right down with slow-mo. Play it at real speed and it looks pretty good.
“I can certainly understand what the third umpire’s done there. He believes he’s seen the ball on the ground and called it way he’s seen it. Normally the ICC protocol on fair catches is if you see the fingers underneath the ball, that’s good to maintain a fair catch.
“But here’s the problem: the on-field umpire’s no longer have the soft signal and make the decision, it’s purely in the hands of the television umpire now.”
Mark Waugh, in commentary for Fox, also felt it was out.
“Virat Kohli will breath a huge sigh of relief, Australian fans will feel they’ve been robbed, Indian fans (it’s) desperate relief,” Isa Guha said on Fox Cricket.
Mark Waugh believes the finger was underneath the ball when it touched the turf.
“It would’ve been a great catch … I think it was … he’s not happy,” he said.
“You see his right finger just underneath it … I think he’s got away with one there Kohli.”
Former Australian greater Allan Border was unsure. “Those ones looks so close, it’s hard to tell,” he said.
Ex-India allrounder Irfan Pathan said Kohli was rightly given not out.
“Virat Kohli was not out which was rightly called NOT OUT. will explain during the break,” Pathan wrote on X.
