Australia's captain Steven Smith reacts after dropping a catch from India's Lokesh Rahul
Australia's captain Steven Smith reacts after dropping a catch from India's Lokesh Rahul during the third day's play in the fourth test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) January 8, 2015. REUTERS/David Gray

Steve Smith blamed the Spidercam wire above his head after dropping regulation catch against India on Thursday. Several experts consider it as a "lame excuse."

Young batsman Lokesh Rahul, who is playing his debut series for India, can't thank Smith enough. Rahul, whose catch was dropped by the Australian captain when he was 46, eventually scored his debut century. When Mitchell Starc took the catch off his own bowling to dismiss Rahul at 110, one may wonder if the damage was already done. With Indian skipper Virat Kohli scoring his fourth century in the series, Australia may have lost the opportunity to win the test match to end the series 3-0. The Telegraph's Jim White says that Smith was immediately ridiculed for giving a "lame excuse" for the dropped catch. Smith apparently entered the club of "lame excuses" as such things are not new in sports. Here are some examples:

Rory McIlroy's Wisdom Tooth

The Northern Irish golfer withdrew himself from the 2013 Honda Classic after blaming it on his "sore wisdom tooth." The present number one said that the wisdom tooth was due to come out in the near future. According to McIlroy, it was unable for him to concentrate as the problem affected his playing partners. McIlroy was ridiculed for the excuse and compared with a toddler who would put the tooth under the pillow once it came out and wait for the tooth fairy.

Suarez's Bite

Uruguay footballer Luis Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on his shoulder during a crucial match in 2014 FIFA World Cup. While the FC Barcelona striker did the unthinkable with hundreds of cameras pointing at him, he came up with an excuse that he had slipped and fell on the opponent player's shoulder. He was eventually banned for four months.

Lighton Ndefwayl's Jockstrap

The Zambian tennis player blamed a few things for his defeat against Musumba Bwayla in a local tournament. He called Bwayla "a hopeless player" and "a stupid man" whom girls hated. "He has a huge nose and is cross-eyed," The Guardian quotes him, "He beat me because my jockstrap was too tight and because when he serves he farts, and that made me lose my concentration, for which I am famous throughout Zambia."

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@IBTimes.com.au