Australia pacer Mitchell Starc teased India debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy after the latter escaped a caught-behind appeal despite gloving the ball on day one of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The incident happened in the 37th over of the day. Starc bowled a back-of-a-length delivery on leg stump, and Reddy came inside the line of it, shaping himself to pull it before deciding to let it go. However, the ball rose off the pitch, getting the batter in an awkward position before going to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Starc, as well as several Australian fielders, went up for a caught-behind appeal. "I think he’s hit it," Carey was heard saying on the stump microphone. Captain Cummins, however, decided to not challenge the decision upstairs despite deliberating on it till the very last second.
Later, Snicko revealed there was a clear spike as the ball went past Reddy’s gloves, which the umpires (and the Australians) failed to notice. "You got a good poker face haven't ya. You must be good at poker," Starc was heard saying to Reddy at the end of the over, given how the debutant gave nothing away with his body language that would suggest that he had hit the ball.
'You got a good poker face haven't ya! You must be good at poker!' 😅
— Sports Spotlight (@SSpotlight71) November 22, 2024
Mitch Starc had some words for Nitish Kumar Reddy after he survived an appeal 🌶#AUSvIND #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/7UFyYNpUTW
Notably, it was not the first time that umpiring came under the scanner in the game. Earlier, KL Rahul was controversially ruled out caught behind after the third umpire reversed the original not-out decision despite the lack of a front-on angle. The decision divided opinions.
Reddy, playing his first Test, came in at No.8 with India teetering at 73-6. He was one of the few batters who looked comfortable at the crease. The all-rounder played some delightful strokes, including two reverse sweeps to Nathan Lyon. He stitched a 48-run stand with Rishabh Pant (37) to help India get over the 100-run mark. India were bowled out for 150, with Reddy falling for 41 off 59, the highest score in India's innings.
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