“100%. No denying it whatsoever” - Steve Smith reacts on his controversial Virat Kohli catch

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli survived a golden duck scare on the first day of the New Year Test against Australia at the SCG. Steve Smith, who was on the receiving end with the controversial catch, opened up after the third umpire declared it not out.

At the stroke of lunch, Smith was asked if he grounded the ball while taking the catch at the slip cordon. Without any hesitation, the star Aussie fielder stated that he caught it cleanly. However, he added that he was fine with the umpire’s final decision.

“100 percent. No denying it whatsoever, 100 percent! But umpires made the decision," Smith told Isa Guha at the lunch break.

https://x.com/cricketcomau/status/1874994592967176496 

What exactly happened with Steve Smith’s catch?

Moving into the details of the incident, Virat Kohli came into bat after India lost two early wickets for 17 runs on the scoreboard. Scott Boland bowled a full-length delivery, which Kohli nicked towards the second slip in the cordon.

However, Smith scooped the ball towards Marnus Labuschagne, who was standing in the gully before catching the ball. With the gully picking up the catch successfully, the Aussie fielders celebrated. 

However, the third umpire took his own time looking at multiple replays. After a brief time, the umpire decided it was not out as the fielder grounded the ball before scooping it towards the gully.

Nevertheless, Kohli couldn’t create an impact as he could score only 17 runs off 69 balls without scoring a boundary. Boland finally got his revenge in the third slip, caught by Beau Webster. 

Jasprit Bumrah, the stand-in skipper in the absence of Rohit Sharma, won the toss and elected to bat first despite having overcast conditions. Rohit, who decided to rest himself, was replaced by Shubman Gill in the final playing XI for the New Year Test.

In conclusion, former Indian skipper Virat Kohli survived a golden duck scare on the first day of the New Year Test against Australia at the SCG. Steve Smith, who was involved in the controversial catch, stated that he caught it cleanly but respected the umpire's final decision. The incident occurred when Kohli edged a delivery from Scott Boland towards the second slip, where Smith scooped the ball to Marnus Labuschagne at the gully. After multiple replays, the third umpire ruled it not out, as the ball had touched the ground. Despite surviving the scare, Kohli was eventually dismissed for 17 runs. Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and elected to bat first, with Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma in the playing XI.

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