Virat Kohli survives first-ball duck as umpire rules controversial catch in favour of the batter

A jittery morning in Sydney for India could have dwindled further with Virat Kohli surviving a golden duck off Scott Boland shortly after openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal made their way back to the pavilion.

Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, stepping in for Rohit Sharma who had “opted to rest”, had chosen to bat first after winning the toss on an unusally green SCG pitch. An innocuous flick off a half volley saw Rahul perishing before Yashasvi Jaiswal nicked one from Boland to debutant Beau Webster in the slip cordon.

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Steve Smith grasses Virat Kohli chance

Boland almost had two in two when Kohli edged his first delivery off a back of a length channel to Steve Smith in the slips. Smith appeared to almost take the catch, lose balance and pass it on the nearby fielder who took the rebound catch.

But the replays showed that Smith had possibly grassed the chance with the fingers not quite underneath the ball from the replays showed on TV. The ball appeared to be bouncing off the turf after hitting Smith’s fingers before it went to the nearby fielder.

After multiple replays, third umpire Joel Wilson ruled in favour of India and Kohli, confirming that he could “clearly see the ball roll off the grass”.

Justin Langer, on 7 Cricket, thought otherwise about the decision.

“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 had his fingers under the ball, he flicked it up deliberately and in my opinion that’s out,” Langer said.

There were other Aussie players who also felt Kohli had to be given out.

“I think that’s out… I think he’s made the second movement to get his fingers underneath it,” Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“He’s got away with one there Kohli. To me that’s just out,” Allan Border chipped in.

“The Australian fans will fell they’ve been robbed, the Indian fans will feel very relieved,” Isa Guha countered from the commentary box.

Watch Steve Smith grass Virat Kohli’s edge off Scott Boland

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