IND vs PAK: India's Super Four clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday has been marked by sloppy fielding, with the Men in Blue letting multiple chances slip away in the early overs.
Abhishek Sharma endured a nightmare on the field with two missed opportunities, while Kuldeep Yadav too added to India's woes by dropping a sitter.
The first lapse came in just the opening over when Sahibzada Farhan edged Hardik Pandya's delivery towards third man. Abhishek barely moved forward and misjudged the flight completely, diving late and spilling a simple chance with the Pakistan opener yet to score.
If that wasn't enough, another error arrived in the fifth over. Varun Chakaravarthy's googly produced a top edge from Saim Ayub's
attempted slog-sweep. The ball ballooned straight towards short fine leg where Kuldeep Yadav was waiting. It looked like the easiest of catches, but the wrist-spinner fumbled, dropping what commentators described as a "dolly. "
Things went from bad to worse in the eighth over when Abhishek Sharma was in the spotlight again. This time stationed at long-on, he chased after a lofted shot from Farhan, sprinting to his right. It was a tougher opportunity as he had to stretch one-handed close to the ropes, but instead of pulling off a stunner, he ended up parrying the ball over the boundary for six.
With two reprieves for Farhan and one for Ayub, Pakistan's top order was gifted a lifeline in a contest where momentum is everything. These errors have not only allowed Pakistan to settle into their innings but also left the Indian bowlers visibly frustrated.
Dropped catches in India-Pakistan matches often become turning points, and India will be hoping these lapses do not come back to haunt them. For Abhishek, who has now put down two chances, and Kuldeep, whose error was avoidable, it has been a forgettable outing so far in the field.
The Men in Green took complete advantage of the fielding lapses as Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub have already stitched a 60-plus-run stand. Farhan has already scored his half-century and Pakistan are currently batting at 91/1 after 10 overs of play.
