The ongoing Test at new Perth Stadium between Australia and India has been a verge of becoming the match of the year as both teams have shown tremendous fight in the game till now. After the hosts scored 326 runs, India got off to the worst possible start as both their openers – Murali Vijay and KL Rahul were back in the hut inside the first six overs. Even as left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc rattled Rahul’s woodwork, Josh Hazlewood got the better of Vijay with an in-coming delivery.
Quite expectantly, the Aussies got their opponents by the scruff of their necks and India, well and truly, found themselves on a rabbit hole. Starc, who had been severely criticized by former Aussie greats for his lackluster performance in the opening Test at Adelaide Oval, was looking at his brutal best. He ran in at sheer pace and hurled thunderbolts at the Indian batsmen.
In the penultimate ball of the ninth over, there was a massive appeal against Cheteshwar Pujara, who came to bat after the fall of Vijay’s wicket. At that point in time, India was reeling at 23/2 with captain Virat Kohli and Pujara in the middle. The pitch was spitting venom and Starc launched in a short delivery that got big on the batsman. The ball was directed towards the leg-side.
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Pujara tried to play a leg glance fend the ball through the fine leg region but was beaten by the sheer pace. Luckily, instead of the willow, the leather brushed his shirt and flew to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who didn’t make any mistake in grasping the ball. Following the catch, the wicket-keeping started celebrating in triumph. However, on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena remained unfazed.
Here is the video of the happenings:
https://vimeo.com/306521574
Nevertheless, Starc wasn’t interested in appealing for it, but the Australian skipper kept appealing furiously, but Dharmasena didn’t react. Starc made a gesture with his hand that suggested his dissatisfaction. The Aussies thought about taking the Decision Review System (DRS), but they decided against it. Meanwhile, the delivery was good enough to get Australia their third wicket.
