The highly anticipated India vs Australia Test series took a dramatic turn on Day 1 when KL Rahul was controversially dismissed, leaving fans furious and social media buzzing with heated reactions. With India struggling and the pressure mounting, Rahul’s departure from the crease sparked an uproar, with many questioning the fairness of the decision.
KL Rahul’s Dismissal: A Disputed Call
KL Rahul was then sent back at the most crucial juncture. Trying to play a full-length delivery from Mitchell Starc, Rahul got caught behind after an outside edge, which seemed to brush the glove or the bat before being safely gathered by the Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. However, the third umpire had the final word as the on-field umpire decided not to give it out, after review from the Australian team.
On balance, the ball looked all colours of bad luck as it spiked an edge on Rahul’s bat. Nevertheless, a closer look at the UltraEdge suggested that the lbw was more of a ‘soft signal’ from the perspective of the on-field umpire, and the viewers had ample reason to believe that there was substantial doubt about the exact nature of the contact. The third umpire essentially approved the on-field decision with confirmation of the dismissal much to the chagrin of the Indian camp as well as its fans.
Fans Fume Over KL Rahul’s Controversial Dismissal
Indian fans reacted by posting their opinions on social media concerning the decision. Fans on several forums expressed that the end-result was unfair, and there could be a flaw in the technology implemented in confirming the dismissal. Some even said that Rahul’s dismissal was that of “bad luck” while labeling the third umpire as highly hasty and claiming evidence was inconclusive.
Once a cheater always a cheater. Poor broadcasting and pathetic umpiring. KL Rahul was NOT OUT. #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/6vr9yBqWz2
— Raman (@RamanPrasad72) November 22, 2024
Australia are fixers worst decision by umpires that was clearly not out feeling sad for kl rahulpic.twitter.com/oEzbYwLqlx#INDvAUS #BGT #KlRahul
— パヴァン (@pavan_ritchie) November 22, 2024
Whenever Kl Rahul Was Looking In Good Form He Outs In Unfortunate Way 😭…
— Pantgallery¹⁷ (@bhagwanklr62817) November 22, 2024
It's hard to digest that KL Rahul has been wrongly given out. 😞💔
#INDvsAUS #INDvAUS#KLRahul
pic.twitter.com/u5QZTpL9P4
Field umpire given not out KL Rahul.
— Shiva Yaduvanshi (@Mr_ShivaYadav1) November 22, 2024
Australian captain reviewed
Third umpire decision is out .✅
What You Say Cricket Lovers: 👀Kl Rahul Out or not out ?????#INDvsAUS #BGT2025#bordergavaskartrophy2024 #not_out#KLRahul #Kohli #OurUniverseWOOZIday #BCCI #ICC pic.twitter.com/0KRhDJgRns
What the hell, that’s not out! These umpires need to get their heads checked.
— not.so.secular69 🇮🇳 (@Knitesh5) November 22, 2024
KL Rahul won’t be happy; he was looking amazing out there! pic.twitter.com/IwPH6TgffI
Australia being Australia, the third umpire always seems to favor them.
— Ulta dimag (@being_healer) November 22, 2024
KL Rahul was clearly not out.#BorderGavaskarTrophy #KLRahul#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/pdjSX0hv2E
Fans are furious and went on to an extent to say that “Australia are fixers”, the decision has sparked huge outrage and after KL Rahul’s dismissal India is struggling solidify their innings.
Section of the fanbase soon started terming Rahul’s dismissal as “unfair,” drawing comparisons with past decisions that had invoked such controversies. Saying such things as “Once a cheater, always a cheater” trolled in the form of referencing past umpiring controversies where decisions had not gone India’s way. It is not the first time that a contentious call in an India-Australia match has generated wide debate. In fact, scenes like this only added fuel to the already charged atmosphere that surrounds the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
