Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh stood his ground after a controversial decision by the third umpire during Day 2 of the second Test match against India. Virat Kohli argued with the on-field umpire regarding the review for Mitchell Marsh’s LBW, recalling a similar incident in Perth involving KL Rahul.
The incident took place on Day 2 of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, December 7. Mitchell Marsh played on the front foot against Ravichandran Ashwin on the third ball of the 58th over. The Indian players appealed for LBW as the ball hit Marsh’s pads. The on-field umpire ruled it not out.
Watch: Virat Kohli Criticizes Umpires Over Mitchell Marsh LBW Controversy
Team India decided to take DRS, and the replays showed the bat was near the pad when the ball made contact. The replays suggested the ball hit the pad first rather than the bat. However, third umpire Richard Kettleborough claimed there was “no conclusive evidence” and upheld the on-field decision.
The Indian players were visibly shocked by the decision and engaged in a conversation with the umpire. Virat Kohli argued with on-field umpire Richard Illingworth about the controversial lbw call. Kohli pointed out that KL Rahul was given out in the first Test match in Perth, where there were two noises.
“KL’s was the same in Perth, two spikes. One was bat & one was pad,” Kohli told the umpire.
Take a look at the video of the incident below:
“Kl was same in perth, 1 from bat 1 from pad”
Leader Kohli always stepping up for his teammates 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wxPxFqLgFo
— Chiku (@Kohliisgoat) December 7, 2024
In the previous Test in Perth, a similar controversy arose when it was unclear whether the ball hit KL Rahul’s bat or if the sound came from the bat striking the pad. The umpire ruled it as caught behind, sparking debates over the decision.
Australia resumed at 86/1 but lost Nathan McSweeney, who scored 39 runs. Marnus Labuschagne, who was going through a lean run, made 64 before being dismissed. Steve Smith departed to the dressing room without adding many runs.
Jasprit Bumrah claimed three wickets for India, and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one. At the end of the first session, Australia was at 191/4 after 59 overs with an 11-run lead and will aim to extend it to ensure a solid total by the end of their innings.
On Day 1 of the Test, Rohit Sharma chose to bat first. Mitchell Starc dominated with the pink ball, claiming six wickets. He dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, as India was bowled out for 180 runs in their first innings.
Also read: Watch: India rocked by another DRS scandal in Australia; Virat Kohli-Ashwin protest on the Ground