In the Champions Trophy final held in Dubai, India’s fielding performance was subpar after New Zealand chose to bat first. Indian fielders dropped four catches, occurring in pairs during consecutive overs. The first set of drops was with the new ball, and the second came in the middle overs off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. The beneficiaries of these dropped chances were Rachin Ravindra (twice), Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips.
Here’s a breakdown of the dropped catches:
- 6.3 overs – Mohammed Shami to Ravindra: Shami himself missed a catch off his own bowling. Ravindra was on 28 at the time.
- 7.1 overs – Varun to Ravindra: Shreyas Iyer, running from deep midwicket, couldn’t hold onto a tough chance. Ravindra was then on 29.
Despite these early reprieves, Rachin Ravindra was eventually dismissed for 37 in the 11th over.
Later in the innings, two more catches were dropped:
- 34.5 overs – Axar Patel to Mitchell: Rohit Sharma dropped a one-handed catch at midwicket. Mitchell was on 27 then.
- 35.6 overs – Ravindra Jadeja to Phillips: Shubman Gill dropped a catch at deep square leg. Phillips was also on 27 at the time.
Glenn Phillips was dismissed for 34 shortly after his dropped catch. However, Daryl Mitchell capitalized on his lifeline and went on to score a half-century, eventually getting out for 63 in the 46th over.
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