Australian batsman Travis Head has taken one of the best catches of the Cricket World Cup, removing India’s danger man Rohit Sharma in stunning fashion.
Sharma was getting comfortable at the crease, with his signature aggressive batting style on show in the 10th over, until a mishit from a dance down the pitch to Glenn Maxwell’s spin was caught at deep cover by Head.
The Indian opener fell just short of another half century, dismissed for 47 off just 31 balls, as Maxwell went berserk.
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Australian cricketing legend Shane Watson was blown away by the grab, which silenced the 130,000-strong Indian crowd on their home soil.
“Unbelievable Travis Head. It’s never easy running back over your shoulder, particularly when it’s Rohit Sharma. He’s made great ground here,” Watson said in commentary.
Matthew Hayden said the catch took “great courage in the field”.
It stopped India and its fans in their tracks, with the ground falling silent for the first time.
From there, India went from 1-76 to 3-80, as Australia’s fielders took control in the first innings.
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In the 28th over, Indian superstar Virat Kohli was bowled out in a surprising manner, chopping on to a back-of-a-length delivery from Pat Cummins.
“This is a massive wicket,” Indian legend Ravi Shastri said on commentary.
“All of the Ahmedabad crowd are in disbelief,” Mark Taylor said on Nine’s coverage.