Batting on 123, Virat Kohli edged a wide ball from Pat Cummins to second slip where Peter Handscomb bent down low to claim a low catch
India captain Virat Kohli (right) reacts after watching a replay of his dismissal against Australia on Day Three of the second Test at Perthu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s Optus Stadium yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Virat Kohli's controversial dismissal on the morning of the third day yesterday added tension to an absorbing second Test here in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
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Batting on 123, Kohli edged a wide ball from Pat Cummins to second slip where Peter Handscomb bent down low to claim a low catch. The Australian players were confident and Handscomb also signaled to the umpires (and Kohli) that he had caught the ball cleanly by holding up the ball. The Indian captain stood his ground and shook his head in disbelief.
Jasprit Bumrah
Both umpires conferred and decided to go upstairs. Importantly, on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena's soft signal was out. It meant that video umpire Nigel Llong had to find conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field umpire's decision. As Kohli waited in the middle, he continued to shake his head. After several replays, there was no conclusive evidence and video umpire Nigel Llong gave Kohli out. Kohli was clearly unhappy with the decision and trudged off furiously.
There were mixed reactions in the commentary boxes. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believed Handscomb had taken a fair catch. Michael Hussey, speaking on Fox Sports, was not as sure but did not believe Handscomb had been dishonest in claiming the catch.
At the end of day's play, Jasprit Bumrah was asked about the controversial catch. "We were a little surprised by the on-field call but now that it's been done means it's been done. We will move forward with the game. That's about it," he said.
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon said: "I wasn't sure about the conversation between the umpires but we thought it was out." While the debate rages on, the decision could prove to pivotal in the context of the result of the second match.
Also read: Perth Test: Virat Kohli owns Day 3 with spectacular ton
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