20 October,2023 07:09 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondent
Usama Mir (Pic: AFP)
When Usama Mir grassed a dolly catch off David Warner in the ICC World Cup 2023 league stage match in Bengaluru on Friday, he kept up Pakistan's unwanted tradition of dropping catches against Australia.
Warner miscued a lofted shot off pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over but the ball sneaked through the hands of a confused Mir at mid-on. Warner, 10 at the time, punished Pakistan by cracking his 21st ODI century, fifth in all World Cup matches, and went on to score 163 in a total of 367-9.
Warner's drop continued Pakistan's sloppiness in crucial Australia matches, starting at the 2015 World Cup. In the quarter-final at Adelaide, Pakistan were defending a paltry 214-run target.
Australia were in a spot of bother at 83-3 when Rahat Ali grassed a simple catch off Shane Watson's miscued hook off pacer Wahab Riaz. Watson recovered to hit 64 not out in Australia's six-wicket win on the way to lifting the World Cup for the fifth time.
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Four years later in Taunton, Asif Ali dropped Aaron Finch off Riaz in the slips with the opener on 37. Finch went on to score 82 in Australia's 41-run win. In the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final in Dubai, Pakistan's Hasan Ali dropped Matthew Wade at deep mid-wicket when Australia needed 22 off the last two overs.
Australia, who were asked to bat first, needed a dominant show to spruce up their confidence after three middling efforts that fetched two defeats and a win in this tournament, and they did it with a bang.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's five-wicket haul (5/54) was just a sad reminder as to what other Pakistan bowlers could have done with a bit of thinking on a vastly underwhelming day.
Warner, who was dropped twice on 10 and 105, and Marsh were at their marauding best against a Pakistan attack that lacked direction on a smooth M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch with a quick outfield adding value to the shots too.
(With agency inputs)
