 "Virat Kohli takes a catch to dismiss Bangladesh's Jaker Ali. Image: Reuters")
India’s fielding woes came to the fore once again during their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. While the Indian bowlers were exceptional in dismantling Bangladesh’s top order, their efforts were overshadowed by a series of missed chances on the field.
Rohit misses a crucial catch to deny Axar a hat-trick
Rohit Sharma, leading the side, had a forgettable moment at slips when he put down a regulation catch, denying Axar Patel a hat-trick. The biggest let-off came when Bangladesh’s middle-order batter Jaker Ali was gifted a lifeline. Set to be the hat-trick dismissal of Axar Patel, Ali was lucky to see Rohit spill a simple catch in the slip cordon and deny his teammate in what would have been just the second hat-trick of Champions Trophy history.
Champions Trophy 2025: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table
Hardik Pandya’s lapse costs India big runs
Soon after, all-rounder Hardik Pandya added to India’s struggles by dropping an easy catch at mid-off in the 20th over. Towhid Hridoy, who was batting on 23, got a reprieve when Pandya failed to hold on to a sharp chance at the boundary off Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling. The ball burst through Pandya’s hands, allowing Hridoy to survive and rotate the strike. Hridoy went on to score a century and help Bangladesh post a respectable total.
Fielding concerns ahead of big matches
India’s fielding struggles were in stark contrast to New Zealand’s exceptional display a day prior, where the Black Caps set the benchmark with their sharp catching and athleticism during the opening game of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan. Glenn Phillips took a spectacular flying catch to dismiss Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan. A few overs later, Phillips once again dived to intercept a Babar Azam square cut, but fortunately for the Pakistan batter, the ball had already bounced.
These lapses in the field could prove costly in the latter stages of the tournament for India, especially against stronger opponents in high-pressure matches. If India manage to grab a spot in the knockouts, they are likely to meet some good fielding teams including the likes of Australia and England. Meanwhile, with New Zealand already in their group, the Kiwis won’t hesitate to capitalise on such mistakes.
Despite the missed opportunities, the Indian bowlers wrapped up Bangladesh’s innings for 228 runs. Mohammed Shami picked up a five-wicket haul and reached 200 ODI wickets in the process . India will need 229 runs to win their opening game of the tournament and move on to the next match against arch-rivals Pakistan.