Steve Smith’s incredible effort ended in despair when the third umpire declared him not out on the morning of the fifth Test in Sydney, but star Indian batsman Virat Kohli survived a caught-behind appeal. The decision infuriated the Australian batsman, preventing Kohli from collecting a golden duck.
When Virat Kohli entered the crease with the visitors behind 2–17, the Australian audience gave him a mix of applause and jeers. The first ball he encountered from Scott Boland, though, nearly ended his tenure.
Kohli’s outside edge was taken by Boland’s back-of-a-length delivery that swung away. When the ball fell low to the second slip, Smith was able to get his hand under it by diving full stretch to his right. Smith flicked the ball to Gully, where Marnus Labuschagne finished the catch, in a one motion. The Australian team thought they had dismissed Kohli, so they jumped in celebration.
Just missed a beat there! 🥶
ICYMI, #ViratKohli was dropped by #SteveSmith on the very first ball he faced!#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 5th Test, Day 1 LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/iLhCzXCYST
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 3, 2025
Virat Kohli waited for the TV umpire’s call calmly while the Australians celebrated.
Though it was unclear from the replays if the ball had touched the ground before Labuschagne’s catch was finished, they did show Smith’s right hand scooping the ball.
After examining the angles several times, the umpire came to the conclusion that the ball had touched the turf. The Indian supporters cheered loudly at this decision, and Kohli looked relieved, while Smith shook his head in shock. As Kohli lived to steady India’s innings with Shubman Gill, the move was a major turning point. The critics were unhappy with the choice and thought it was a blatant catch.
“Australian fans will feel they’ve been robbed,” Isa Guha described during her broadcast. The ball brushed the ground, and Mark Waugh believed Smith’s finger was still underneath it.
“It would have been a fantastic catch. I believe that was… Smith is not pleased. Just beneath that, you can see his right finger. I believe he got away with it, Kohli,” Waugh remarked.
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