5th Test: Steve Smith asserts Virat Kohli was “100pc out,” no doubt about it

At the Sydney Cricket Ground, just after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Scott Boland, the seamer nearly claimed his second wicket in quick succession. He found Kohli's outside edge, but Smith lunged to his right at second slip to take the catch.

Sydney: After Virat Kohli survived a caught dismissal on the first ball he faced in the fifth Test against Australia, senior batter Steve Smith said he had his hand underneath the ball in the moment which has divided opinions in the cricketing world.

At the Sydney Cricket Ground, shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Scott Boland, the seamer almost got his second wicket on the trot when he found Kohli’s outside edge, and Smith dived across to his right at second slip to take the catch.

---

It seemed like Smith had got his fingers underneath the ball, but replays showed the ball flicked the grass on the ground, while scooping the ball to Marnus Labuschagne at gully, something which TV umpire Joel Wilson spotted while ruling Kohli not out after seeing various camera angles.

In the lunch break, speaking to broadcasters Fox Sports, Smith was adamant that he did take the catch cleanly. “100%. No denying it whatsoever. But umpire’s made the decision and we move on.”

Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath said on ABC Sport it was a 50/50 call but felt Kohli looked out. “As cricketers, we all think that’s out, the ball never really touched the ground. If I’m batting I’m probably happy to walk there, but I’m also happy (for him) to stay.”

On Fox Sports, former England captain Michael Vaughan also felt Kohli was out. “You need a little bit of fortune as a batter, and I think Virat Kohli has had that fortune on (his first ball). I think that’s out. Australia should have had their third wicket.”

Similar views were expressed by Alyssa Healy, Australia women’s skipper. “It’s a tricky one, because if you watch that in live motion, it looks out – and Steve Smith obviously felt like he got a hand underneath it as well. But in the modern day with the rulings that they’ve got, if (it looks like) any little piece of ball on the ground, the umpire’s more telling to say it’s not out.”

Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer said on Channel Seven that Kohli too was out in his opinion. “His fingers were under the ball. Looked to me as if he was instinctively looking to flick the ball straight up. In my view, the finger was still under the ball. That should have been a great catch for Australia.”

Simon Taufel, the five-time ICC Umpire of the Year awardee, said on Channel 7 that Wilson took the right decision, as per the protocols in place. At the same time, Taufel acknowledged that making a definitive decision even if the footage is less than conclusive also presents a problem.

“I think you described it very well when you said that depending upon which side of the fence you sit on you could probably build a case for either decision to be given. Listening to Joel Wilson’s language there, where he said the fingers were underneath the ball and then he’s seen it roll on to the ground, by his own language he is telling us that he believes he’s seeing that ball on the ground.

“So, there are two things that the TV umpire here is looking for. One is fingers underneath the ball. He was satisfied there. But then he believes through those pictures that he’s clearly seen the ball on the ground. And here’s the challenge, slowing it right down with slow-mo. Play it at real speed and it looks pretty good. I can certainly understand what the third umpire’s done there.

“He believes he’s seen the ball on the ground and called it way he’s seen it. Normally the ICC protocol on fair catches is if you see the fingers underneath the ball, that’s good to maintain a fair catch. But here’s the problem: the on-field umpire’s no longer have the soft signal and make the decision, it’s purely in the hands of the television umpire now,” he said.