Another huge cricket controversy strikes at the SCG – and this time even Aussie fans are divided by umpire’s call on Virat Kohli
Another highly controversial call from the third umpire has hit the Australia-India Test series – and this time even local fans are divided over whether their team has been treated unfairly by the match officials.
Paceman Scott Boland initially appeared to have caught Virat Kohli for a golden duck, but the DRS review disallowed the wicket when the third umpire ruled that Steve Smith did not have his hand completely under the ball before deflecting it to fellow slip fielder Marnus . Labuschagne.
During the agonizing wait for a decision, slow-motion replays of the crucial moment were played several times, with third official Joel Wilson ruling that Smith did not prevent the ball from hitting the ground.
‘He has his fingers here, but they rolled on the ground. Yes, that ball just hits the ground,” Wilson judged.
Unlike Wilson’s other controversial DRS decisions this summer, this one left Australian pundits and fans split almost 50/50.
Channel Seven commentator and former Aussie star Justin Langer was firmly in the ‘out’ camp.
Steve Smith (left) and teammates Marnus Labuschagne (center) and Sam Konstas started a wild celebration when they thought they had ducked Virat Kohli
However, third referee Joel Wilson ruled that Smith had failed to prevent the ball hitting the ground after examining a slow motion replay (pictured)
Had the dismissal stood, Scott Boland (pictured left, on appeal for the wicket with Pat Cummins) would have taken two scalps in two balls
“Steve Smith had his fingers, you could see he was shooting the ball up, brilliant what he did,” Langer said on broadcast.
“To have his fingers under the ball and deliberately move it up, that’s out of the blue in my opinion.”
Ricky Ponting drew the same conclusion.
“You can clearly see his fingers under the ball,” the former Australian skipper said on Seven.
“As far as I’m concerned, if it had come out of his [Smith’s] hand, then he wouldn’t have been able to scoop it up.’
Former international referee Simon Taufel – who has been hired to explain close calls on Seven’s reporting – was noncommittal.
“You could probably build an argument for either decision,” he said.
‘I can certainly understand what the third referee did there. He believes he saw the ball on the ground and called it as he saw it. Normally the ICC protocol for fair catches is: If you see the fingers under the ball, that’s good to maintain a fair catch.
Wilson has been a lightning rod for Aussie anger this series thanks to some controversial decisions – but this time many local fans backed him
But just as many green and gold supporters cried foul over what they saw as their team was ripped off again
‘The problem is that the referees on the pitch no longer have the soft signal and make the decision. It is now purely in the hands of the television referee.’
“I think that’s spread almost every day of the week, to be honest,” former Test player Mark Waugh said in commentary for Fox Sports.
Ex-Indian coach Ravi Shastri was less convinced.
“I think in the end it was the right decision because there was an element of doubt,” he said.
‘If you see it on the replay so many times and you’re not convinced, it invariably goes in the batsman’s favour.
“If there is a split finger, the ball is much more likely to hit the grass.”
Asked if he kept his hand under the ball, Smith told Seven: “One hundred percent. There’s no denying that.’
Australian fans were divided as they commented on the drama online, with many backing Wilson despite the huge controversy over his failure to deliver Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Boxing Day Test.
“I’m not a fan of Joel Wilson, but while I won’t say he made the right decision, I will definitely say he didn’t make a bad decision,” one person commented.
“Not out and I’m an Aussie, correct call,” another added.
But just as many Aussie supporters were scathing about the decision.
“Joel Wilson calling? Expect another howler monkey! Why is he still in a job after the last test?’ someone asked.
“If this is any other team than India, it’s over,” said another.
Had the dismissal been given, it would have left India in a deep hole at 3-17 and given Boland a hat-trick.
Kohli is said to have breathed a sigh of relief after the decision, averaging just 12.4 over five innings since an unbeaten century in the series opener.
Kohli had been the subject of investigation during the MCG Test for making shoulder contact with debutant Sam Konstas between overs during the opener’s first stay at the crease.
He also raised eyebrows when he confronted a journalist earlier in the series with the warning against filming his family members.