Watch: 'Goodness me, that's a rarity' – Jadeja drops a sitter, gifts ...

Watch: Ravindra Jadeja dropped an easy catch off Rachin Ravindra at point off the bowling of Mohammed Shami during the India-New Zealand clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala today (October 22).

New Zealand were put into bat by India after losing the toss. India made two changes to their side. Hardik Pandya was replaced by Suryakumar Yadav while Shardul Thakur was replaced by Mohammed Shami.

New Zealand started poorly, losing Devon Conway in the fourth over of the innings to a soft dismissal as he flicked a Mohammed Siraj delivery straight to Shreyas Iyer at square leg.

Will Young followed soon after as he chopped a Mohammed Shami back of length ball onto his stumps. Incidentally, it was Shami’s very first delivery at this World Cup. At 19-2, New Zealand needed to rebuild. However, they could have been in deeper trouble as Rachin Ravindra uppishly drove a length ball by Shami towards Jadeja at point in Shami’s very next over.

One of the safest fielders in world cricket, Jadeja somehow managed to make a meal of it as he dropped the easy chance, handing Ravindra an early reprieve. “Goodness me, that is a rarity,” exclaimed Simon Doull on commentary.

Since then, Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell have stitched a solid partnership for the third wicket. By the end of the 23rd over, New Zealand’s score read 110-2, with Ravindra batting on 50 off 56 and Mitchell on 38 off 46.

Ravindra has already scored a century and a half-century at the 2023 World Cup before this game. This is his third fifty-plus score in the tournament. How costly the dropped catch ends up being has to be seen.

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