"I'd be very surprised if Nitin Menon was sure that it hit the pad first" - Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli's controversial LBW in 2nd IND vs AUS Test

Dinesh Karthik believes on-field umpire Nitin Menon made a bold call by adjudging Virat Kohli out leg before wicket on Day 2 of the ongoing Delhi Test between India and Australia on Saturday, February 18.

Karthik noted that it was a very difficult decision for Menon, as it was tough to tell if the ball had first made contact with the bat or pad. The veteran keeper mentioned that he was amazed to see the umpire being so confident that the ball had hit the pad first, as it was a very close call.

He opined that the on-field officials have started to make brave decisions as teams now have the option of taking a review if they don't agree with the judgment.

Speaking to Cribbuzz after stumps on Day 2, Karthik explained:

"A lot of people have been going hard on Richard Illingworth because he is the third umpire. But in the first instance, when I saw it, I thought it was a really hard one for the umpire to give. But with the advent of DRS, they are becoming slightly wilder in their thoughts and believe that there is an option for DRS and you can go for it if you want.

"The question is, did it first hit the pad or the bat? I'd be very surprised if Nitin Menon was sure that it hit the pad first. But once he has given it out, there should be conclusive evidence to overturn the decision, which wasn't there."

Notably, Kohli was out to Australia's debutant left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. While he opted for DRS, the third umpire wasn't able to overturn the decision due to a lack of conclusive evidence.

Karthik pointed out that there wasn't any flaw in Kohli's technique, as he ensured that his front leg was on leg stump while trying to defend the ball. He suggested that it would be tough for batters to defend left-arm spinners if the umpires started giving such close calls as out.

On this, he said:

"The peeve, in a way, should be with Nitin Menon for going ahead with that decision. Virat Kohli did everything perfectly. He placed his leg on the leg stump, didn't go too far in, and defended the ball in a way that it had to be defended. If you start giving those LBWs, it gets really hard for batters to defend left-arm spinners."

Kohli looked set for a big one and looked assured at the crease. However, his promising knock came to a premature end and he had to walk back after scoring 44 runs.

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"This series has been really mouthwatering to watch" - Dinesh Karthik on the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Speaking in the video, Dinesh Karthik stated that while Australia have taken a crucial 62-run lead, they still aren't in complete control of the Test match.

He claimed that the visitors could lose wickets quickly on Day 3, as it won't be easy to bat on the wicket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The 37-year-old reckoned that Rohit Sharma and Co. might now have to chase a target in excess of 130.

Karthik further added that the ongoing Test has been an unpredictable one with both sides fighting tooth and nail. He elaborated:

"I wouldn't say that Australia are slightly ahead because things turn so fast and it could happen tomorrow. We could end up chasing 120 or 130, and we wouldn't be surprised. That's how the nature of this pitch is. When you get a wicket, there are a couple, and maybe even three, at times.

"Just the way this game has unfolded, every day comes with a lot of mystery. This series has been really mouthwatering to watch."

Meanwhile, Australia finished at 61/1 at stumps on Day 2. While opener Usman Khawaja fell early, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship for their side by batting with positive intent.