SCG Test: Controversy as Steve Smith catch to remove India great Virat Kohli denied by third umpire

Australia’s umpiring nemesis has struck again with Joel Wilson denying Australia and Steve Smith what would have been an extraordinary catch to remove Virat Kohli first ball.

After removing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Scott Boland thought he had the Indian champion for a golden duck as he edged behind to Steve Smith.

With the ball dying low, Smith dove to his right where he got his fingers under it to flick the ball up and allow Marnus Labuschagne to complete a stunning catch.

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE CATCH CONTROVERSY IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

However, the umpires wanted to check if it was a fair catch with Wilson taking a lengthy look.

After numerous replays, the third umpire decided that while Smith got his fingers under the ball, it bobbled to touch the ground before being parried up to Labuschagne.

“I understand the reasoning but I can’t see how from those replays Wilson can say the ball definitely touched the ground,” Simon Katich said on commentary.

Smith was also definitive in his response. Asked if he got his hand under the ball, Smith told Fox: “100%. No denying it whatsoever.”

Channel Seven’s umpire expert Simon Taufel said there was no longer a soft signal for fair catches meaning the decision was solely with Wilson.

“So, there are two things that the TV umpire here is looking for. One is fingers underneath the ball. He was satisfied there. But then he believes through those pictures that he’s clearly seen the ball on the ground. And here’s the challenge, slowing it right down with slow-mo. Play it at real speed and it looks pretty good,” he said.

“I can certainly understand what the third umpire’s done there. He believes he’s seen the ball on the ground and called it way he’s seen it. Normally the ICC protocol on fair catches is if you see the fingers underneath the ball, that’s good to maintain a fair catch.

“But here’s the problem: the on-field umpires no longer have the soft signal and make the decision, it’s purely in the hands of the television umpire now.”

Justin Langer believes Wilson made the wrong call.

“I happen to sit on the MCC World Cricket Committee at present and there was a lot of talk about whether the umpire should be able to rule it on or off... And in my opinion, from what I have seen there, that makes it more obvious to me that should have been out,” he said on Channel 7.

“Steve Smith had his fingers, and you could see he was flicking the ball up, it was brilliant what he did. He had his fingers under the ball and he flicked it up deliberately and in my opinion that’s out.

“His fingers were under the ball. Looked to me as if he was instinctively looking to flick the ball straight up. In my view, the finger was still under the ball and that should have been a great catch for Australia.”

Wilson is no stranger to Australian fans having given Ben Stokes not out at Headingley in 2019 despite being plumb LBW where he then went to complete his extraordinary innings while in Melbourne he was the umpire involved in the controversial Jaiswal dismissal giving it not out on the field.