Shubman Gill was warned by the umpire |Courtesy - screengrab (JioHotsar)
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Shubman Gill was warned by the umpires
- Travis Head made 39 runs in 33 balls
- Australia won the toss and chose to bat first
Shubman Gill's splendid catch to dismiss Travis Head during the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final on Tuesday (March 4) sparked controversy leading to the on-field umpire warning the Indian vice-captain in between overs at the Dubai International Stadium.
Head, who has been India's nemesis on multiple times in the past across formats was once again threatening to run away with the match in the powerplay. After making 39 runs in 33 balls, he attempted a big shot over Varun Chakravarthy but failed to clear the boundary. Gill made no mistake and safely took a catch after running 23 metres in 3.81 seconds.
However, the catch has become a contentious issue after the TV broadcasters showed the umpire having a long chat with Gill.
Why Shubman Gill's Catch Has Caused Controversy?
The reason behind the debate over Gill's catch is that the 25-year-old let go off the ball almost immediately after it hit his hand. For those unversed, the MCC Laws of the Game mandate that a fielder must be in complete control of the ball.
"The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement," states Law 33.3.
Talking about the match, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. Mohammed Shami dismissed Cooper Connolly for a nine-ball duck after the young all-rounder came into the playing XI just a day after replacing the injured Matthew Short in the squad.
Head made the slowest start of his ODI Career after making just one run in 10 balls but quickly made up and upped the ante. However, he lost his wicket on the first ball he faced from Chakravarthy in his career. Steve Smith and Marnus Labushagne have ensured Australia crossed the 100-run mark in the 20th over without losing any more wickets.
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