India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed in controversial fashion during the fifth day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne. It was a short ball from Pat Cummins that Jaiswal looked to pull down the leg side.
The Australians appealed, but the referee did not give it out. Cummins moved for a review and the decision was sent upstairs. Jaiswal was seen walking towards his batting partner Washington Sundar after Australia opted for a DRS.
During this part, Travis Head also walked past the Indian opener and appeared to have a word with him. After the brief conversation, Head was convinced that Jaiswal had hit the ball and raised his fists claiming that he was out.
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Watch: Yashasvi Jaiswal tells Travis Head he hit on her
Whatever conversation Jaiswal had with Head between the call and DRS, Head came out of it thinking he was out #AUSWIND pic.twitter.com/FeMfqxlJtI
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 30, 2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal appeared to inform Travis Head that he had hit the ball on its way to keeper Alex Carey. The opener sat with his partner Washington Sundar and patiently waited for the decision.
Controversy came when Snicko showed nothing when the ball went past the edge of the bat. However, the ball changed its path after passing the bat. It appeared that Jaiswal had hit her, but there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the decision.
Australian players were shocked to see nothing of Snicko. The third umpire looked at the replays repeatedly and finally threw it out. The Australian players were delighted after getting the big wicket and celebrated as if they had already won the game.
Great game for Yashasvi Jaiswal
It was Yashasvi Jaiswal's big wicket that stood between Australia and victory right from the start of the innings. The left-handed opener showed tremendous resilience in his stubborn knock and scored a fine 84. It was a different knock from Jaiswal who faced 208 balls and hit 8 fours during his knock.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's innings kept India on track to save the game, but his wicket made things easier for Australia as they wrapped up the next three wickets in quick succession.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had a wonderful game with the bat overall. He also scored 82 off 118 balls in the first innings which included 11 fours and 1 six. The left-handed opener handled the pressure well and played a world-class Australian attack brilliantly.
Australia leads the series 2-1
Meanwhile, Australia won the match by 184 runs to hand India a heartbreaking defeat. The hosts picked up seven wickets in the final session to dent India's hopes. The match looked set for a tie at tea with Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal looking ready to fold.
But Travis Head took Pant's wicket off a semi-tracker to bring Australia back into the game. It opened the floodgates for India and the hosts made full use of it.