Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer have both questioned the rules that saw Virat Kohli given a huge first-ball reprieve in the fifth Test at the SCG, after the Aussies claimed a catch that was ruled not-out by the third umpire. The Australian players went into meltdown when Kohli nicked a low ball to Steve Smith at second slip, with the ball then bobbing out of his hand to Marnus Labuschaghne.

Smith claimed the ball never touched the ground after coming out of his hand and going straight to Labuschagne, and the decision was sent to the third umpire. After watching a number of replays, Joel Wilson decided that the ball touched some grass – and because Smith didn’t have full control it wasn’t out.

That decision appeared to be correct, but Ponting and Langer questioned how Wilson came to make the call. Speaking in commentary for Channel 7, Ponting said he believed Smith’s fingers were under the ball the whole time and the fact he managed to scoop it up to Labuschagne meant he had it controlled.

“You can see his fingers clearly underneath the ball,” Ponting said. “And then Joel said that it rolled out the side and touched the ground. But as far as I was concerned, if it had have come out of his hand he wouldn’t have been able to scoop it up. The ball would have rolled away to the side if the ball came out of his hand. I think he still had control of the ball, even though the ball had touched the grass.

“I’m saying I think his fingers are clearly underneath the ball. Still under the ball. Look where his pointer finger is there. It is still underneath the ball. That’s what he’s saying ‘It stayed on my finger.’ That is exactly what he’s saying. Anyway, it won’t be the last time we talk about that.”

Cricket world divided over Steve Smith catch controversy

Trent Copeland suggested there was an element of an ‘optical illusion’ and the ball might not have touched the ground at all. “The difficulty is as soon as it starts to get slowed down,” Copeland said. “And then some of the camera angles have the optical illusion of the wicket block actually higher up than where the catch is taken, it looks like there is grass everywhere.”

And Justin Langer agreed, saying: “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. That should have been a great catch for Australia.”

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On Fox Cricket, Mark Waugh and Allan Border also believed it should have been out. “I think that’s out… I think he’s made the second movement to get his fingers underneath it,” Waugh said. “He’s got away with one there Kohli.”

Border added: “To me that’s just out.” While Michael Vaughan said Australia “should have had their third wicket”. However former India coach Ravi Shastri was less convinced, saying: “I think the right decision in the end because there was an element of doubt. When you see it that many times on the replay and you’re not convinced, it invariably goes in favour of the batsman. If there is a split of the fingers, the chances of the ball touching the grass is much more.”

On Channel 7, former top umpire Simon Taufel said he “could probably build a case for either decision to be given”. He added: “(Wilson) 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.”

It came after Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat first, but it immediately backfired. KL Rahul went for just four after chipping the ball straight to Sam Konstas, while Yashasvi Jaiswal nicked to debutant Beau Webster at third slip.

with AAP