Steve Smith firmly confirms that he took Virat Kohli’s catch

The first day of the Test in Sydney witnessed intense drama, thanks to the controversial catch it involved Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. After KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal gone early, Kohli narrowly avoided a golden duck. Facing his first delivery from Scott Boland, Kohli dropped one to Smith. The referees on the field made the decision above.

Replays revealed the ball appeared to touch the ground as Smith clutched it frantically. Third umpire Joel Wilson ruled in Kohli’s favour, finding that the ball had made contact with the turf. However, the decision remained without Smith and the others Australian team dissatisfied.

“100% no denial” – Smith remains firm

During a break in play, Smith doubled his claim. “100% no denial, 100%. But the judge made his decision and we’re moving on,” he said. The Australian batsman’s conviction sparked heated debates among pundits and fans.

Justin Langer, speaking to the media, supported Smith’s position. “From what I saw, it should have been an out. Smith’s fingers were clearly under the ball,” he noted. Mark Waugh echoed that sentiment, saying: “It’s just out there for me. He made a second move to get under it.”

Allan Border chimed in, adding: “Kohli got away with one there. It looked like it to me.” However, not everyone was in agreement. Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan sided with the third umpire’s decision, tweeting: “Virat Kohli was not out, which was rightly called NOT OUT.”

The judge’s perspective

Third official Joel Wilson’s decision was based on extensive replays. “I clearly saw the ball roll off the grass,” Wilson explained, ruling in Kohli’s favour. The video showed Smith’s fingers under the ball, but also emphasized that she touched the ground before the bounce.

Despite surviving the scare, Kohli’s was short-lived. After facing 69 balls, he went for 17 runs, making one again at slip. It was a muffled knock for the former Indian captain, whose presence at the crease initially gave hope to the Indian side.

Stay updated with all the cricket action, follow Cricadius on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram