Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has insisted that the catch was clean to dismiss Shubman Gill on day four of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at the Kennington Oval. The 23-year-old's statement comes after he was labelled as a 'cheat' around the stadium a few moments after Gill's departure.
Green, who took a stupendous one-handed catch to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane on day three, stuck out his left hand after Gill edged one off Scott Boland to slip. While replays seemed to suggest that Green might have grassed the ball, the third umpire ruled it out, sparking outrage among fans. Indian captain Rohit Sharma was also spotted discussing the incident with the umpires.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of day four, Green said the third umpire ruled it out, hence, it leaves no room for further discussion. The youngster revealed that he always put extra efforts in catching.
"At the time I definitely thought I caught it. I think in the heat of the moment, I thought it was clean and threw it up and obviously showed no sign of any doubt. And then it's left up to the third umpire (Kettleborough) and he agreed. Ever since I've grown up I have put a lot of time and effort into it (catching). I think growing up I would always try to get myself in first or second slip and I have done that basically my whole junior career."
"We have to definitely be patient" - Cameron Green on Australia's winning prospects
With Australia requiring seven wickets and having 280 runs as cushion, Green believes patience remains key.
"It will be crucial (to stay patient) as it was today to kind of keep our nerve... one or two wickets and we’re back on top. We have to definitely be patient."
After back-to-back wickets of Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane stitched an unbroken 71-run stand to bring India back in the contest.
