Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Controversial Jurel Catch Sparks Drama in India-Sri Lanka Test
India and Sri Lanka were playing the first match of a Test series in Galle.
Sri Lanka needed 372 runs to win.
A Sri Lankan batter named Lahiru Udara hit the ball slightly, and India’s Dhruv Jurel caught it very close to the ground.
People were unsure whether the ball touched the ground before Jurel fully caught it.
The umpires watched video replays to check what happened.
The replays did not clearly settle the question.
The third umpire decided that Jurel had caught the ball fairly.
Udara disagreed and had to leave the field.
Sri Lanka finished the day needing 288 more runs with four wickets already lost.
Dhruv Jurel caught Lahiru Udara off Manav Suthar on Day 4 in Galle.
The low catch, taken at slips or gully, was referred to the TV umpire for review.
Replays appeared inconclusive over whether Jurel’s fingers were underneath the ball before it touched the turf.
The third umpire ruled the catch clean despite Udara’s protests and criticism from commentators and netizens.
Sri Lanka ended Day 4 at 84/4, needing 288 more runs to chase 372 on the final day.
- Who
- India spinner Manav Suthar dismissed Sri Lankan opener Lahiru Udara, with Dhruv Jurel taking the disputed catch. Third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri was criticised over the decision, while former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold questioned it on air.
- What
- A controversial low catch was ruled clean after a review, dismissing Lahiru Udara in Sri Lanka’s second innings.
- When
- Day 4 of the first Test, August 18, at stumps.
- Where
- Galle, Sri Lanka.
- Why
- Udara edged a delivery from Suthar, and Jurel claimed the catch close to the ground; the third umpire judged that it had been completed cleanly.
Critics of the Decision
Match Officials’ Ruling
Whether the catch was clean
Critics of the Decision
Russel Arnold and other critics said the slow-motion replays suggested the ball was pushed along the ground, with Jurel’s fingers behind rather than underneath it. Netizens also criticised the umpiring decision.
Match Officials’ Ruling
The third umpire reviewed the available footage and was satisfied that Jurel had completed the catch cleanly, so Udara was given out.
- Match
- India vs Sri Lanka, first Test
- Target
- Sri Lanka were set 372 runs to win
- Dismissed batter
- Lahiru Udara
- Bowler
- Manav Suthar
- Fielder
- Dhruv Jurel, stationed at slips or gully
- Sri Lanka score
- 84/4 at stumps on Day 4
- Runs required
- 288 on the final day
- Suthar’s figures
- 2/30 in the second innings and 4/76 in the first innings
