Jasprit Bumrah, leading the Indian team, won the toss and opted to bat first on a cloudy morning in Sydney. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul started cautiously, reaching 11/0 after four overs.
However, Australia struck in the fifth over when Mitchell Starc dismissed Rahul, with Sam Konstas comfortably taking the catch.
India’s situation worsened when Scott Boland removed Jaiswal, bringing Virat Kohli to the crease. Kohli’s start was shaky, almost getting out as he was fortunate to survive a close call from Steve Smith.
On the fifth ball of the eighth over, Scott Boland delivered a short ball outside off, generating extra bounce. Kohli, on the back foot, edged the ball low to second slip, where Steve Smith dived to his right and got a hand under the ball.
However, Smith’s attempt deflected it to the gully, where Marnus Labuschagne completed the catch. Australia celebrated, but the on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire.
— DJ Sinha (@sdj374531) January 3, 2025
After several replays, Joel Wilson determined that part of the ball had touched the ground before Smith’s attempt, and Kohli was given not out. While Kohli smiled at his good fortune, Smith accepted the decision with grace, as social media quickly buzzed with reactions to the dramatic moment.