A contentious incident occurred on the second day of the second India-Australia Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Delhi when Virat Kohli was given out LBW while he was on 44. Although wickets continued to fall at the other end, the former India captain appeared to be in good shape. However, Kohli was dismissed off Test debutant Matthew Kuhnemann’s left-arm spin. Who came first, the bat or the pads? That was the point of debate. He was ejected by the field umpire, and Kohli requested a DRS.
The hit was caused by the bat and pad being too near to one another, according to replays. Even when the ball was close to the bat, Ultra Edge was able to pick up a spike. While the ball was touching the leg stump, the ball tracker displayed the umpire’s call. The replays, however, were not convincing enough to alter the verdict made by the on-field umpire. As a result, Kohli had to leave, leaving India in disarray.
After the day’s play, Gavaskar gave his take on the decision. “I thought it was out because if the ball had not hit the bat, because he had been hit on the inside part of the front leg…The ball even if it had turned marginally towards the off-stump, it would have hit the leg-stump. If it would have hit him on the outside part of the left leg, then it would have probably missed the leg-stump. The only question at that particular point of time was where was the impact, whether the ball hit the bat first. Because the bat and pad were so close to each other. It was umpire’s call which in my view what the decision was,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
India’s first innings was saved by a 114-run partnership after Kohli was dismissed, and the squad only gave up a one-run advantage to Australia as a result. Australia’s second innings total of 61 runs, with the loss of one wicket, brought their advantage to 62 runs with nine wickets remaining at the end of the second day. Head made 39 out of 40 shots, and Labuschagne finished unbeaten at 16.