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In a thrilling encounter between cricketing giants India and Australia in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on October 8, a pivotal moment occurred when Virat Kohli was dropped, significantly influencing the outcome of the match. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood recently provided insights into this crucial incident and its implications. He was the most successful Aussie bowler finishing with a remarkable spell of 3/38.
Kohli’s early dismissal scare
The high-stakes clash began with Australia winning the toss and opting to bat, ultimately setting a competitive total of 199 runs. In response, India encountered early setbacks, losing three wickets with just two runs on the board. However, the turning point of the game came when Indian skipper Virat Kohli (85) and KL Rahul (97*) joined forces, orchestrating a remarkable partnership of 165 runs for the fourth wicket, guiding India to a memorable six-wicket victory.
The game-changing dropped catch
Hazlewood, who played a crucial role by taking three wickets for Australia, had the opportunity to dismiss Kohli early in his innings. Nevertheless, a miscommunication between fielder Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Alex Carey led to Kohli being dropped when he was at 12 runs. Hazlewood emphasized that despite this dropped catch, the new ball continued to pose challenges due to its movement in the air and off the pitch.
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Hazlewood’s perspective on the dropped catch and game impact
Hazlewood, reflecting on the pivotal dropped catch incident involving Kohli, offered a perspective that downplayed its influence on the overall outcome of the game. He firmly refuted the notion that the dropped catch significantly altered the course of the fixture. Instead, the Tamworth-born cricketer highlighted that the challenges posed by the new ball, with its movement in the air and off the pitch, remained a critical factor in the game’s dynamics.
Despite the missed opportunity, Hazlewood emphasized that Australia continued to feel competitive until the partnership between Kohli and Rahul continued to flourish.
“No, I don’t think so, it was quite early obviously when that catch was dropped but we still felt that new ball was doing enough, whether it was in the air or off the wicket. We knew that spin was going to be tough to play, maybe not as tough as during the day, but still enough to play it. And we certainly felt in the game for quite a while until obviously the partnership grew and grew and they sort of batted us out of it obviously. And yeah, I thought we did a reasonable job early in particular trying to defend 200,” Hazlewood said at the post-match press conference.
In terms of the catch’s responsibility, Hazlewood clarified that it primarily fell within the purview of fielder Marsh. Nonetheless, he also acknowledged the potential distraction caused by the presence of wicketkeeper Carey in the vicinity during this crucial moment.
“No, I didn’t think Carey could get there. I think it was Mitch’s catch and probably just Carey got quite close in the end so it might have just put Mitch off. Yeah, he dropped a catch, it’s one of those things that happens and everyone’s training hard and working hard off the field to hang on to them. So, yeah, we’ll continue,” the 32-year-old concluded.
