Virat Kohli survived a controversial catch call on the first ball he faced in the fifth and final Test at Sydney on Friday.
Kohli edged a delivery from pacer Scott Boland as Steve Smith at second slip dived low to his right and ended up scooping the ball towards Marnus Labuschagne at gully, who reacted quickly to pouch the rebound.
Smith had the ball between his thumb and index finger before he lobbed it towards his team-mate before he hit the ground.
The on-field umpires referred the catch to the TV umpire, Joel Wilson, as there was doubt whether the ball had touched the ground during Smith's attempt.
After reviewing multiple replay angles, Wilson ruled that the ball had indeed touched the ground, giving Kohli the benefit of the doubt.
The decision triggered debate, with several replays proving inconclusive.
Former Test umpire Simon Taufel explained Wilson's ruling, claiming that the absence of a soft signal placed full responsibility on the third umpire.
'Depending upon which side of the fence you sit on you could probably build a case for either decision to be given,' Taufel told Channel 7.
'Listening to Joel Wilson's language there (making the decision), where he said the fingers were underneath the ball and then he's seen it roll on to the ground, by his own language he is telling us that he believes he's seeing that ball on the ground.
'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.
'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 umpire's no longer have the soft signal and make the decision, it's purely in the hands of the television umpire now,' he added.
Smith believes the catch was clean but the Australians are ready to move on.
'100% (the catch was fair). No denying it whatsoever. But the umpire's made the decision and we will move on,' Smith told Fox Cricket at the lunch break on Day 1.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said the correct decision was taken. 'Virat Kohli was not out which was rightly called NOT OUT. will explain during the break,' he said on X.
But Michael Vaughan declared: 'I thought that was OUT ..'
'You need a little bit of fortune as a batter, and I think Virat Kohli has had that fortune on (his first ball). I think that's out. Australia should have had their third wicket,' he added.
Former Australia batter Mark Waugh also believes that Smith's catch was clean.
'It would've been a great catch.., I think it was (fair) he (Smith) is not happy,' he said on commentary for Fox Cricket.
'You see his right finger just underneath it... I think he's got away with one there, Kohli.'
Kohli could not make most of the reprieve as he fell after a cautious knock of 17 off 69 balls, caught at third slip off pacer Scott Boland, to continue his below-par showing with the bat in Australia.
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