AUS vs SA | Twitter gets divided over honest Steve Smith’s potential ‘catch of the summer’ given not out by TV umpire due to soft signal

After declaring on 475/4 in the first innings in the third and final Test against South Africa, Australian pace duo Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood kept their side on the upper hand with tight bowling. Their outstanding start from both ends almost earned them the prized wicket of the Proteas skipper Dean Elgar, only if Steve Smith remained confident after his attempt of one of the greatest catches of all time in Test cricket.

The incident happened after the first ball of the fifth over, by Hazlewood, who bowled a good length delivery that was shaping away from the outside off stump. Elgar tried to defend it, only to find an edge, and Smith, placed at the second slip, stretched his right hand to pluck it over the turf. However, unlike his teammates, he was not sure about the catch and keeping this in mind, on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney gave a soft signal not out before sending it upstairs.

Third umpire Richard Kettleborough had a very hard time giving his verdict on it. He tried many angles, and almost everywhere, it looked like the ball carried to Smith before he took the catch. However, from the front angle, the ball seemed to brush the turf while it was in Smith’s hand, considering that Kettleborough told Gaffaney to stay on the decision.

The Sydney crowd booed Kettleborough and the umpires for making the decision, and Twitterati too joined hands while remarking Smith was ‘robbed’ from this summer’s best catch.

That looks clear out!

Sad reality!

WT......

It was taken!

It looks out but people have different opinions!

:(

Replay shows clear out!

What a catch it would have been it it was given out!

OK!

May be he was sure about it!