Controversy has erupted over the decision of the third referee in the final match of the World Test Championship (WTC) being played between India and Australia. The Australian team declared their second innings with a score of 270 runs in the fourth day’s game and gave India a target of 444 runs. Following this, Team India’s leadoff batsmen Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, coming out to bat, began the run-scoring process on a positive note. Meanwhile, Twitter users are accusing the third referee of cheating on Gill’s ground.
As the Indian team’s scoring reached 41 runs, a ball from Scott Boland hit the outside edge of Gill’s bat and Cameron Green, standing on the slide, caught the catch. But during this time the field referee doubted the catch and decided to go to the third referee.
When Richard Kettleberg, who was playing the role of third referee in this match, saw the replays, he called Gill. Now many former players along with fans have started raising questions about this decision. Actually, when watching the replays, the ball was hitting the ground. Captain Rohit Sharma was also very angry about this decision by the third referee and also spoke to the referee on the field about it at the time.
Fingers under? Actually?? Oh really?? You’re blind…??? The fingers are on the side of the ball… the ball has touched the ground… #INDvsAUS #ICCWorldTestChampionship pic.twitter.com/KYmqfyZDEL
— Mark Rufus (@markrufus007) June 10, 2023
It was a great effort from Cameron Green, but it’s the moment immediately after the catch is made, when the hand spins, which must have caused Shubman Gill to be very disappointed.
—Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 10, 2023
The problem with the revisions and with the improved cameras is that you will always see a part of the ball on the grass even if the player feels they have control of it. It is not easy for the referee #AUSvIND
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) June 10, 2023
So was the freeze frame. https://t.co/HSBxCOJV3U pic.twitter.com/NcVzl8TUTi
— North Stand Gang – Wankhede (@NorthStandGang) June 10, 2023
Third referee watching the replay before pressing out #WTCFinal pic.twitter.com/ZTFeGsihpC
—Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) June 10, 2023
Third umpire while making that Shubman Gill decision.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) June 10, 2023
Ravi Shastri said: “If it was Steve Smith instead of Shubman Gill, the referee would have given this as a Not Out (laughs).#INDvsAUS #WTCFinal #WTC23Final #Gill pic.twitter.com/ALBPNoYGru
— 👑👌🌟 (@superking1816) June 10, 2023
The unfortunate Shubman Gill.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 10, 2023
He clearly WASN’T OUT, but Richard Kettleborough is blind on the Indian players. Bad luck for Gill #WTCFinal
—Amit Singh (@RockstarAmit) June 10, 2023
Shubman Gill started his second innings brightly in this match. He didn’t miss any chance to score runs on bad balls. But Gill returned to the pavilion after playing out an 18-run innings on 19 balls. At the same time, in the early innings, it saw a 13-run innings off Gill’s bat.
