In the enthralling ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 clash between India and Australia, one moment stood out – the dropped catch of Virat Kohli. However, Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood believes that this incident wasn’t the turning point of the match.
When India and Australia face off on the cricket field, it’s always a high-stakes affair. The game in Chepauk on Sunday, October 8th, was no different. As the two powerhouses collided, fans braced themselves for a thrilling contest that would eventually set the tone for their respective World Cup campaigns.
Early in the Indian innings, the top-order batters fell quickly, and India found themselves in a precarious situation. But then, the man known for his ability to thrive under pressure, Virat Kohli, walked in to partner with KL Rahul. During this partnership, a significant juncture unfolded.
Kohli attempted a pull shot, sending the ball towards square leg, where Mitchell Marsh was stationed to make the catch. However, in a moment of missed opportunity, Marsh couldn’t secure the catch, allowing the ball to elude his grasp. Kohli, then on 12 runs, went on to accumulate a crucial 85 runs, steering India towards victory.
Kohli’s stellar performance, coupled with KL Rahul’s resilience, led to a game-changing 165-run partnership. This partnership was the bedrock of India’s recovery from their top-order batting collapse and effectively countered Australia’s subpar total of 199 all-out. The outcome was a convincing six-wicket triumph for India, marking a successful start to their World Cup campaign.
Josh Hazlewood, who took three crucial wickets for Australia, including that of Virat Kohli, offered his perspective during the post-match press conference. He refuted the idea that the dropped catch significantly altered the course of the game, emphasizing that the new ball still posed challenges through its movement in the air and off the pitch. Hazlewood indicated that Australia felt competitive until the partnership between Kohli and Rahul continued to flourish.
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“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,” Josh Hazlewood remarked.
Regarding the question of whose catch it was, Hazlewood indicated that it was primarily Marsh’s responsibility, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s presence possibly causing some distraction. He acknowledged that dropped catches happen in the game and highlighted the team’s continuous efforts to improve in this aspect.
“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,” he concluded.
Australia’s journey in the 2023 World Cup continues as they prepare to face South Africa on October 12th in Lucknow. South Africa, a formidable opponent, recently defeated Australia in a bilateral series and showcased their dominance by demolishing Sri Lanka in their first match of the World Cup. Australia knows they are up for a tough challenge, but they are not a team to concede victory easily.
