CATCH DENIED? Virat Kohli Gets First-Ball Lifeline, Controversy Erupts After Steve Smith Claims Out

India's premier batter Virat Kohli would feel lucky that he is still in the middle at the SCG after the first-ball controversy over the catch. Kohli has anyways been facing the heat after his lacklustre performances in Australia and this was his opportunity to turn things around during the final Test. Kohli walked in early after India lost two early wickets after opting to bat first. First ball and it was Scot Boland to Virat Kohli. It was of a back of a length, it nipped away and took the outside edge of Kohli, The ball went down and Smith thought he scooped it up but the ball had just grazed the turf before being taken by the man at gully. The umpire went upstairs and after a lot of contenmplation, the third umpire gave it not out. 

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Meanwhile, third umpire Joel Wilson reckoned the ball touched the ground. 

“That ball (is) just touching the ground,” Wilson said before telling the on-field umpires of his decision of not out.

“The Australian fans will feel like they’ve been robbed, the Indian fans, desperate relief,” former England bowler Isa Guha said on Fox Cricket commentary.

Former Australian great Mark Waugh and Allan Border analysed the non-dismissal in the moments after the decision, each unsure on the final verdict handed down.

‘I think that’s out’ - Mark Waugh

“I think that’s out; I think that’s very close to touching the grass but I think he rolled underneath it with his finger,” Waugh told Fox Cricket.

At the time of filing the copy, India were 55 for two. Kohli and Gill are in the middle and they look steady at the moment. India need them to stay there and take them forward.