‘If it was India taking that catch…’: Australia legend on Shubman Gill’s controversial dismissal in WTC 2023 final

The dismissal of Shubman Gill during India’s second innings proved to be a pivotal and widely-discussed moment in the World Test Championship final. It was a crucial moment because India had been scoring at an impressive rate of almost six runs per over, with Gill and Rohit Sharma taking on the Australian pacers. However, it was also a much-talked-about moment due to the debatable nature of the catch taken by Cameron Green.

The on-field umpires referred the decision to the third umpire, Richard Kettleborough, as per the new rules that have been implemented. Kettleborough ultimately ruled that Green had his fingers underneath the ball and was in full control of the catch before his left hand touched the grass, resulting in Gill being given out.

India captain Rohit Sharma was visibly unhappy with the decision, as was Gill, who expressed his disappointment on social media after the match. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Gill 100% of his match fees for his actions.

The catch was the subject of much debate in the commentary box, with Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, and Ravi Shastri all weighing in on the incident. Unsurprisingly, the Indian and Australian teams had differing opinions on the matter.

Following Australia’s triumphant victory in the World Test Championship, where they won by a staggering 209 runs, cricket legend Glenn McGrath was approached for his thoughts on the contentious catch made by Cameroon Green to dismiss Shubman Gill. 

“I think most of those catches are out. We find ways to give it not out which I like to go the other way. So, I was happy with it,” said McGrath.

The ex-fast bowler expressed that his opinion would have remained unchanged had any fielder from the Indian team caught the ball.

 “And if it was India taking that catch, I would have been happy too. I’m not just saying from an Australian perspective but the way it goes.”

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