 "Gavaskar criticises Shami for 'lacking conviction' as he drops Smith's catch in Champions Trophy semi-final: 'Just putting his hand up'")
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final between India and Australia witnessed a crucial moment when Mohammed Shami dropped a sharp catch of Aussie skipper Steve Smith, drawing sharp criticism from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar. The incident occurred during the fourth ball of the 22nd over when Smith was batting at 36 alongside Marnus Labuschagne, trying to rebuild for Australia.
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Gavaskar slams Shami for a missed opportunity
However, Steve Smith got a lifeline when Shami failed to hold on to a difficult but catchable opportunity. While former Pakistan captain and commentator Ramiz Raja described the moment as an extremely tough chance, Gavaskar was more critical of Shami’s effort, questioning his commitment in attempting the catch. Here’s what they said in their commentary:
Ramiz Raja: “A difficult chance, this was hit hard. Travis Head’s was a scoop, this came from the middle of the blade. Hardly had any time to react. It hit him on the wrist I think.”
Sunil Gavaskar: “There seem to be no conviction going for that. He is just putting his hand up in hope, you can see that, the way the hand is positioned, not looking to actually catch it. No conviction in the attempt. No wonder it was dropped.”
Shami himself looked upset with the missed opportunity as he was seen getting frustrated after the ball missed his grip and went through. Watch how Shami reacted after the dropped chance:
Smith went on to score a fine half-century and is still batting in the middle at the time of writing this article. Labuschagne, on the other hand, was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja in the very next over for 29 off 36 balls. Smith reached his fifty off 68 balls in the 26th over. Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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