Retour
Young Indian all-rounder Naman Dhir produced a moment of exceptional fielding during the fourth ODI against New Zealand at Bay Oval on Friday. The 26-year-old grabbed everyone’s attention with a spectacular forward-diving catch to end Michael Bracewell‘s innings as the hosts finished with 333 runs in 50 overs.
India, having opted to bowl after winning the toss, faced a challenging task against a New Zealand batting lineup that made excellent use of the favourable conditions. However, Dhir provided two important contributions in quick succession, first with the ball and then in the field, as India attempted to restrict the home side.
Dhir had already made an impact with his part-time off-spin, dismissing the well-set Will Young on the final delivery of the 37th over. The Indian all-rounder was involved in another crucial moment just five balls later. During the 38th over, Gurnoor Brar bowled a sharp short delivery towards left-hander Bracewell. With the ball angling into his body, the New Zealand batter had limited room to execute his pull shot and failed to generate sufficient elevation.
Stationed at deep backward square leg, Dhir immediately moved forward after spotting the ball travelling towards him. He sprinted in, judged its trajectory brilliantly and stretched himself into a full-length dive to complete a remarkable catch just above the ground.
The on-field umpires referred the dismissal to the third umpire to check whether the catch had been completed cleanly. Replays confirmed that Dhir had his fingers underneath the ball, leaving no doubt about the dismissal. Bracewell departed for 15 off 20 deliveries, while New Zealand slipped to 258/6. The wicket also gave Brar his second breakthrough of the innings.
Naman Dhir makes a difficult catch look ridiculously easy! 😮💨
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Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, New Zealand managed to put together a competitive total of 333 before being bowled out on the final delivery of their innings.
Openers Young and Tim Seifert provided an aggressive start, collecting 85 runs in less than 12 overs. Seifert contributed 58 from 48 balls, including six boundaries and three sixes, before falling to Brar following an animated exchange with the Indian pacer. Virat Kohli subsequently intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
Young, meanwhile, made India pay for missing multiple opportunities to dismiss him. The opener benefited from two early reprieves, including a dropped catch by Rohit Sharma at first slip in the second over. He capitalised on those chances to produce a magnificent 125 off 108 deliveries, hitting 14 fours and four sixes.
After Nick Kelly (4) and Dean Foxcroft (8) were dismissed by Axar and Auqib Nabi respectively, Finn Allen joined Young to rebuild the innings. The pair added 90 runs, with Allen smashing 41 off just 30 deliveries before falling to a spectacular diving catch by Rohit off Axar.
Young’s dismissal was followed by Bracewell’s departure, but New Zealand’s lower order ensured the scoring did not slow down considerably. Captain Mitchell Santner scored 24 off 29 balls, while Kristian Clarke (22 off 22) and Kyle Jamieson (19 off 21) made useful contributions towards the end.
For India, Axar was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 2/39 from his 10 overs. Brar (2/69) and Nabi (2/59) also picked up two wickets each.