Steve Smith made amends on Tuesday by pulling off a breathtaking catch to send KL Rahul back, after letting him off the first ball of Day 4. The Australian star is famous for his quick reflexes at slip and had let go of an easy catch off Pat Cummins when Rahul was on 33. Rahul took full advantage of the lifeline and went on to make a dogged 84 runs.
Cummins came close to delivering a perfect delivery, but a thick edge came from Rahul’s bat as early as in the morning session and Smith’s dropped catch proved to be an early lifeline for India. The miss seemed to weigh on Smith and he looked visibly frustrated through the session, particularly when Rahul kept finding the boundary.
WHAT A CATCH FROM STEVE SMITH!
Sweet redemption after dropping KL Rahul on the first ball of the day.#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/d7hHxvAsMd
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2024
But just before lunch, Smith seized the chance to put things right. Off Nathan Lyon’s delivery in the 44th over, Rahul, attempting a backfoot cut shot with very little room to manoeuvre, edged the ball thickly towards the slip cordon. Smith timed his low dive to perfection and held the ball inches from the ground.
A sharp catch meant Australia had an important break, and the team’s spirit also rose. After Rahul being dropped, he went on to score 50 more runs, but Smith’s effort ended his gritty innings by sending him back into shock.
The catch was particularly impressive given the minimal reaction time and the dipping trajectory of the ball, which required Smith to go low and clasp it cleanly. The dismissal marked a turning point as India found themselves in deep trouble heading into the next session.
