Indian and Australian greats face off as debate rages in the cricketing world over Cameron Green’s controversial capture in Saturday’s World Test Championship final.
The star all-rounder took out another blinder at gully as he lunged forward with a huge dive to reject the dangerous Indian opener Shubman Gill, who had already rushed to 18 with just 19 balls.
Green and his excited teammates immediately began celebrating wildly, with the 198cm prodigy confident that he had taken the catch, which came on day four of the blockbuster final at London’s The Oval.
Gill wasn’t so sure he held his own – before third umpire Richard Kettleborough bagged him after watching extensive replays to see if the ball had touched the ground.
It sparked one of the fiercest backlash in recent history, with Indian fans on the ground chanting ‘cheat, cheat, cheat’ as Green later bowled and social media lit up with intense debate.
And cricketing legends of both countries also couldn’t agree on whether it was a catch or not, as impartiality was pushed aside in favor of patriotism – with a few notable exceptions.
The agony and ecstasy of cricket: Green celebrates his brilliant catch (left), as a furious Gill (right) lumbers off, disagreeing that it was a fair catch
A debate rages in the cricket world over whether Green had his fingers under the ball when he caught it
Aussie teammates were unconcerned, celebrating loudly, firmly convinced that Green (left) had nailed it
“Richard Kettleborough is a world-class umpire, and what he’s doing, he probably had to admit,” ex-coach and Australian batting legend Justin Langer told Star Sports.
‘What I always find interesting is the first reaction of the field player. Cameron Green got under it and was convinced he had it. If there is any doubt, you can often tell by the fielder’s body language.’
The great spinning Harbhajan Singh wasn’t so sure – and says the decision could have a big impact on the outcome of the big game.
The replay was not convincing. They should have zoomed in on his fingers before taking the call. It could cost India dearly in the chase,” he told PTI.
His ex-teammate Virender Sehwag – who was a regular in the slip cordon during his storied career – wholeheartedly agreed.
Inconclusive evidence. When in doubt, don’t go out,” he wrote on social media.
The ICC just abolished the rule about controversial catches requiring a soft signal (where unclear evidence would mean the signal remains) – which is very important to note in this scenario where only Kettleborough was responsible for deciding whether to was or not.
Indian great Ravi Shastri disagreed with his compatriots, insisting the referee made the right call.
Many Australian and Indian legends were divided over whether the capture was legal, but former gully fielder Matthew Hayden (left) and Indian great Ravi Shastri (right) both believe the right call was made
Revolving icon Harbhajan Singh (right, pictured talking to Indian star Ravi Jadeja ahead of the game) was scathing for the decision, but
“When I saw what I saw there as the third umpire, it’s really hard to say the ball hit the ground because you could see the two fingers underneath,” he said after the game of the day on Star Sports.
“So what I can see from Cameron Green there is two fingers. So it is a difficult one, but if you follow the referee, he must be convinced that the ball has hit the ground.
“And let’s not forget, he’s got giant fingers, he’s a big dude, and you can see the angle of the fingers, he’s under the ball. You have the thumb on top, the fingers are wrapped around the ball. Richard Kettleborough, I can see where he’s from.’
It’s safe to say that Gill, and Captain Rohit Sharma, who was in the middle at the time, disagree with that assessment.
The furious opener took to social media after the day’s play to vent his frustrations, posting a screenshot of the capture captioned with two magnifying glasses and a facepalm emoji as he poured fuel on the increasingly hotter fire.
A dejected Shubman Gill trudges off after the third umpire ruled the catch was legal
Indian fans weren’t happy, chanting ‘cheat, cheat, cheat’ as Green bowled and wrote signs for Kettleborough to get his eyes checked
Sharma was similarly outraged on the pitch, muttering ‘NO!’ when the decision came through on The Oval’s big screen, allowing Indian fans to play in both Green and Kettleborough.
He found support with Indian legend Dinesh Karthik, who also insisted that Gill was unlucky, as did iconic pundit Harsha Bhogle.
At first instinct on the replay, I really felt it wasn’t over. “If you really think there were two fingers under the ball, then I refuse to believe it. But you have to agree with the referee’s decision,” he said on Sky Sports.
One of Australia’s greatest ever gully fielders, Matthew Hayden, disagreed with his fellow commentator.
“Look at the way those outfield players reacted, there was no doubt about it,” he said.
“It was a huge moment in this Test match, but when I watched those outfield players, everyone was so excited. When Cameron Green tossed the ball up, he knew he’d caught it.’
Scott Boland celebrates after taking Gill out as the game is precariously tied heading into the final day
Bhogle, one of cricket’s most respected minds, put it eloquently, but was no less unequivocal in his belief that the wrong call had been made.
“It was a great effort from Cameron Green, but it’s the moment immediately after the catch is taken, when the hand turns, that should leave Shubman Gill very disappointed,” he said.
Aussie wicketkeeper Brad Haddin urged critics to remember that watching too many frozen frames can throw doubt into something perfectly legal.
I thought it was a clean catch and Green got his fingers under the ball. I like it in real time because if you slow it down too much and look at different frames it can create a lot of doubt,” he shared. ESPN Cricinfo.
“In this case he had his fingers under the ball and it was a clean catch.”
It will probably forever be something the two countries will have to agree on to disagree.
The match remains precarious for both sides ahead of the final day, with Australia needing seven wickets to win.
India would need to break the all-time chase record in a fourth innings to emerge victorious, with 280 runs from the final day. And with Virat Kohli (44*) in the middle, anything is possible.
If the match is a draw, both sides share the honour.