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)
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