Cameron Green insisted he had taken a fair catch to dismiss India’s Shubman Gill as Australia pressed for victory in the World Test Championship final at The Oval. Live from 7:30pm EST!
Australia declared midway through the fourth afternoon, leaving India needing what would be a new Test record fourth-innings winning total of 444.
India still had an outside chance at 164-3 at stumps, with star batsman Virat Kohli 44 not out heading into Sunday’s scheduled last day.
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MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs India, WTC day five scoreboard
India made a rousing start to their daunting chase, scoring 41 runs in under eight overs before Gill fell to an outstanding catch by Green off seamer Scott Boland.
But there was sufficient doubt over the validity of the all-rounder’s low, one-handed, grab for the on-field umpires to call in TV official Richard Kettleborough.
Kettleborough ruled Gill was out, a decision met with jeers and chants of “cheat” from a largely pro-India crowd.
Replays indicated Green had his fingers under the ball, but Gill posted a less definitive still image of the catch on Twitter shortly after stumps. That picture was accompanied by two magnifying glasses and a ‘face palm’ emoji.
India seamer Mohammed Shami was also unhappy with what he thought was a rushed decision by Kettleborough, telling the post-match press conference: “We could have taken some time. It’s the World Test Championship final, not a normal match that you let go.
“It should have been checked better, zoomed in, but it’s okay, it’s part of the game. It is all about the umpires. They take a call.”
Expert analysis of the incident has determined India were in the wrong.
Thought I caught it’ Green on catch call | 00:50
Green, who took an equally brilliant, if less controversial catch, to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane in India’s first innings, had no qualms over Gill’s exit.
“I definitely thought I caught it”, said the 24-year-old.
“In the heat of the moment I thought it was clean, threw it up and obviously showed no sign of any doubt. Then it’s left up to the third umpire and he agreed.”
Prolonged India resistance with the bat may be the last thing Australia’s pace attack want just days before the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston starts on Friday.
But Green, set to play his part as fourth seamer, was adamant there would be no let-up in Australia’s bid to capture the one major men’s global title that has so far eluded them.
“We’ve been working so hard for two years to have any doubts about pushing in this game,” he said.
India scorecard at start of Day 5
R. Sharma 43 (lbw b N.Lyon)
S. Gill 18 (c C.Green b S.Boland)
C. Pujara 27 (c A.Carey b P.Cummins)
V. Kohli not out 44
A. Rahane not out 20
R. Jadeja
S. Bharat
S. Thakur
U. Yadav
M. Shami
M. Siraj
Total: 164/3 (40 overs), chasing 444
India needs 280 runs for victory
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