As Shubman Gill sprinted in from long-on to take the catch, Indian fans around the world collectively held their breath. It was no ordinary catch, nor was it just another match. This was the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the player at the crease was none other than Travis Head—one of Australia’s most dangerous openers, who had been in tremendous form. Head, a constant threat in recent years, was beginning to look dangerous once again, but Varun Chakravarthy had other plans. He bowled a clever delivery that tricked the left-hander into playing a false shot.

The ball hung in the air for what felt like an eternity, or so it seemed. Gill, wearing a floppy hat, made the catch look effortless, much to the delight of the Indian crowd. Head, who had struggled early on, scoring just one run off his first 10 balls, was dismissed after scoring 39 off 33 balls. His knock included five boundaries and two sixes. This was also the first time in Head’s ODI career that he had been dismissed in the powerplay by a spinner.

Just after the dismissal, umpire Richard Illingworth was seen having a conversation with Gill. Commentators Harsha Bhogle, Michael Atherton, and Matthew Hayden speculated that the discussion likely revolved around the catch. Gill had released the ball quickly after catching it, and according to the laws of cricket, a fielder must be in full control of the ball for the catch to be deemed legitimate.

Atherton weighed in, stating that there was no doubt Gill had full control of the catch, while Hayden agreed, noting that Gill had held onto the ball for almost three seconds. Hayden also praised the umpire for taking the time to caution Gill, ensuring he was mindful of the required timeframe before releasing the ball for celebration.

The commentators also reminisced about Steve Waugh’s famous dropped catch by Herschelle Gibbs during the 1999 ODI World Cup.

Bhogle commended Gill for accepting the umpire’s caution with grace, nodding before walking away. Meanwhile, India had struck twice in the first 10 overs. Australia’s captain, Steve Smith, won the toss and opted to bat on a Dubai pitch that was expected to slow down as the match progressed. Mohammed Shami made the early breakthrough, dismissing young opening batter Cooper Connolly in the third over, and Head fell in the 9th over.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then put together a promising 56-run partnership, but just as Australia seemed poised to take control, Ravindra Jadeja struck, trapping Labuschagne LBW for 29.