Dubai: India had Bangladesh on the mat very early in their Champions Trophy clash here on Thursday.
Pacers Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana reduced Bangladesh to 26/3, then Axar Patel got into the act. The left-arm spinner sent back Tanzid Hassan and Mushfiqur Rahim with the second and third balls of his opening over – both caught behind by KL Rahul.
Then came the hat-trick ball, and the moment of reckoning for Axar. He delivered an almost perfect ball, drew the new batter Jaker Ali forward and induced an edge, which flew to Rohit Sharma at first slip. It was the simplest of catches, but the Indian captain grassed it.
Perhaps too eager, the normally safe slip fielder tried to grab the ball and let his slip our of his grasp. Realising that he had denied Axar his first hat-trick in ODI cricket, a frustrated Rohit slammed the ground repeatedly.
Watch the video clip shared by ICC of the eventful over in which Axar missed a hat-trick:
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That dropped chance cost India more than a hundred runs. Bangladesh, who could have been absolutely reeling at 35/6, recovered magnificently through Jaker (68) and Towhid Hridoy (100). Towhid scored his maiden ODI century and Jaker hit his second fifty as the duo added a record 154 runs for the sixth wicket.
Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 228 in 49.4 overs, with Shami bagging 5/53, Rana 3/31 and Axar 2/43.
