IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli escapes controversial catch during Sydney Test; A '100 per cent' catch, says Steve Smith

Senior India batter Virat Kohli received a lifeline on Friday during Day 1 of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. Kohli was yet to get off the mark when he edged towards Steve Smith at second slip off Scott Boland’s delivery. In the eighth over, Boland delivered a short of a length ball around off-stump to Kohli, who edged it towards Smith.

Just missed a beat there! 🥶

ICYMI, #ViratKohli was dropped by #SteveSmith on the very first ball he faced!#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 5th Test, Day 1 LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/iLhCzXCYST

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 3, 2025

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Smith leapt forward in a bid to claim the catch but the ball then deflected towards Marnus Labuschagne at gully. Kohli was originally given Not Out and the Australians decided to go for the DRS. While Smith was confident that the ball did not touch the ground, third umpire Joel Wilson, however, felt that the ball was grounded before deflecting towards Labuschagne. Kohli was eventually given not out.

Steve Smith believes he took a clean catch 

Smith, however, felt that he took a clean catch. “100%. No denying it whatsoever, 100%,” he told Fox Sports during the lunch break on Day 1 when asked his fingers were underneath the ball. “But the umpire has made the decision. We’ll move on,” he added.

Former Australia head coach Justin Langer felt that Kohli was out. “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 told 7 Cricket.

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Former umpire Simon Taufel clarified on the issue. “Depending on your perspective, you could construct an argument for either side. Joel Wilson’s commentary while making the call suggested that while fingers were observed positioned beneath the ball, he simultaneously acknowledged it rolling onto the ground,” he said on Channel 7.

He explained how the third umpire’s decision aligns with the ICC protocols. “The third umpire must assess two elements: firstly, the presence of fingers under the ball, which he confirmed, and secondly, his belief that the ball made contact with the ground. It’s evident that he felt he saw the ball down and ruled accordingly. This aligns with the ICC protocols regarding fair catches — if fingers are visible beneath the ball, it generally supports a fair catch decision,” he said. “Currently, on-field umpires do not possess a soft signal and the authority rests entirely with the TV umpire for reviews,” commented Taufel.

Kohli, however, was eventually dismissed for 17 by Scott Boland, who bowled an outside off delivery in the 32nd over. Kohli was edged and caught by debutant Beau Webster at third slip.

At the time of writing this report, India were 168/9, having lost Prasidh Krishna in the 69th over. Australia lead the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 2-1 following their 184-run win in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

India need a win in Sydney to not only retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also keep themselves alive in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.