Mitchell Starc Catch Controversy
Australia is yet again embroiled in a catching controversy, just three weeks after Cameron Green’s contentious catch to dismiss Shubman Gill in the WTC Final. On Saturday, Mitchell Starc joined the bandwagon with a not-so-clean catch to get Ben Duckett during the ENG vs AUS Lord’s Ashes Test, which was nevertheless ruled in favour of the hosts.
The Fourth Innings
In the fourth innings, England’s score was 4-113. Ben Duckett, who had just reached his seventh Test fifty, tried to play a shot over the slips but ended up directing the ball towards Mitchell Starc at deep fine leg.
Starc’s Catch
After Duckett’s shot, the 33-year-old Starc made a remarkable catch near the boundary rope. He celebrated with his teammates while Duckett reluctantly headed towards the dressing room. However, the on-field umpires, with the intervention of the third official Marais Erasmus, ruled that the catch was not clean and called Duckett back to the crease. Replays suggested that the ball had brushed the grass before Starc had caught it.
Conclusion
The Mitchell Starc catch controversy has once again brought the spotlight on the issue of catching in cricket. While umpires have the final say in such matters, the debate over whether the catch was clean or not will continue to rage on.