Virat Kohli’s Team India may have lost the 4th ODI due to a rain-curtailed match but the team showed that their fielding standards have gone up. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s catch at the boundary to dismiss Hashim Amla at a crucial juncture in the match was a testament of that fact. Kumar took the catch when the game was still balanced. Earlier in the day, Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. India put up a handsome 290 for the hosts to chase, thanks to a brilliant century by Dhawan (109), who was well supported by Virat Kohli (75).
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The hosts resumed chase and lost an early wicket of captain Markram for 22 and it seemed another defeat was looming large. That is when rain intervened and changed fortunes for the hosts. After the rain spell got over, the match was reduced to 28 overs, in which the hosts needed 202 runs to win with 9 wickets in hand. India and Virat Kohli were in search of wickets.
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Finally, Kuldeep Yadav got rid of Hashim Amla, who was well-set for 33. But it was not an easy catch for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Stationed at the deep long-off boundary, Amla played an uppish drive. The ball did not have the distance nor the height.
A spectacular boundary catch by bhuvneshwar kumar. pic.twitter.com/ceFlcjBmmF
— Alauddin Khilji (@AlauddinKhilj10) February 10, 2018
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was perilously close to the ropes, managed to catch the ball but threw the ball in the air as he realised he was about to step onto the ropes. He completed the catch in the second attempt. One has to applaud Bhuvi for having the presence of mind to make that decision in a split second. Amla departed for 33 off 40 balls. The beauty of the catch was the way Bhuvi kept his nerves under pressure.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is unbelievably calm under pressure. That’s the highlight of everything he does on a cricket field. What. A. Catch. #SAvIND
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 10, 2018
South Africa beat India by 5 wickets to halt India’s unbeaten run in the Proteas-land. The series stands at 3-1 in favour of India. Virat’s men need just one win to seal the ODI series.
