To chase a mammoth target like 445, the batting team needs to ride on some luck to cross the finish line. But luck deserted India on Saturday as a controversial decision from the third umpire led to Shubman Gill's dismissal in the ongoing World Test Champinship Final against Australia at The Oval.
The incident happened right on the stroke of Tea when Scott Boland managed to take the outside-edge of Gill's bat. The ball carried comfortably to Cameron Green at second slip.
The 6-foot-7-inch all-rounder came down swiftly and grabbed the catch but as he fell on the ground, his fingers touched the grass for a fraction of a second before he lifted his left hand and rolled over.
Green claimed the catch but Gill stood his ground as he felt the ball touched the ground. The on-field umpire referred the decision upstairs immediately.
Mufaddal Vohra
The third umpire Richard Kettleborough saw multiple replays from different angles before deciding that Green had his fingers underneath the ball. He gave it OUT, much to the disappointment of Gill, his opening partner Rohit Sharma and the thousands of Indian fans present in the stadium.
But the Indian players and fans should be disappointed with the decision as still pictures of the catch from different angles clearly show that the ball would've definitely touched the ground.
While Green did seem to have his fingers underneath, there is no way the ball didn't touch the ground. This is clearly visibly in the still pictures of the video replays that the third umpire saw.
Mufaddal Vohra
But it was hard to determine when the replays were being played on the big screen.
India have a mountain to climb at The Oval
Gill and Rohit got India off to a brisk start, scoring 41 runs in 7.1 overs after Australia declared their second innings at 270 for 8 in the second session with a lead of 444 runs.
Rohit was unbeaten on 22 while Gill was on 18 off 19 balls when he got out to Boland. Tea was called after the dismissal.
The Aussies were elated with the decision and went back to the pavilion happier than Gill and Rohit, both of whom kept shaking their heads at the third umpire's decision.
