In an extraordinary turn of events during the third India-Australia ODI in Rajkot on September 27, Glenn Maxwell dismissed Rohit Sharma for 81 (57) with an outstanding caught and bowled that was so remarkable that it even left Maxwell in disbelief.
Maxwell returned to the bowling crease in the 21st over of India’s chase, with Rohit and Virat Kohli forming a strong partnership. Kohli even hit Maxwell for a six on the fourth ball and attempted to do so again on the last ball.
The ball was delivered at a favorable length and turned toward Rohit. While attempting to loft it over the bowler, the right-handed batsman played an uncontrolled shot with little balance.
Nonetheless, the ball rapidly headed towards Maxwell’s direction, forcing him to instinctively draw it away and use his right hand to catch it. The ball went directly into his hands and stayed there.
You can watch the video of this wicket and Maxwell’s reaction here:
Warra catch by maxwell 🔥😂
Rohit played brilliantly as always pic.twitter.com/cRTtisPKv9— Ahsaan Elahi (@Callme_ahsaan) September 27, 2023
This marked the off-spinner’s second wicket in the match. Previously, he dismissed makeshift opener Washington Sundar, who scored 18 runs off 30 balls, by inducing a catch in the outfield.
Rohit was batting exceptionally, much like his recent form, but he couldn’t capitalize on his good start to carry the team to victory. He had scored three consecutive fifties during the 2023 Asia Cup but couldn’t manage to convert any of them into a three-figure score.
Glenn Maxwell dismisses Virat Kohli after taking Rohit Sharma’s wicket
India’s difficulties with spin bowling worsened during the match. After the captain’s dismissal, Virat Kohli also succumbed to the Australian spinner. Kohli had been in excellent form, scoring 56 runs off 61 balls, including five fours and a six.
However, in the 27th over’s penultimate ball, he attempted a pull shot against Maxwell’s short-of-a-length delivery that spun sharply. Unfortunately, he got a significant top edge, sending the ball high in the air towards mid-wicket. Steve Smith made an easy catch, and this wicket left India at 171/3 while chasing a target of 353 runs.
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