India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh was filled with captivating subplots as the Tigers kept fighting back whenever the Men in Blue seemed to have them cornered. After a dramatic recovery from 35/5, Bangladesh posted a competitive total of 228.
Then, they resisted an early onslaught in the powerplay, restricting India from 69/0 in the 10th over to 144/4 after 30 overs. This left India needing 85 runs from 120 balls. However, as has often been the case, Bangladesh let their chances slip at crucial moments, and they ultimately paid the price.
In the second ball of the 37th over, with KL Rahul struggling at nine off 19 balls, the veteran attempted to break the shackles by attempting to hit Taskin Ahmed over the legside fence. Unfortunately, Rahul misjudged the shot, failing to make solid contact or find the gap.
The ball sailed directly to Jaker Ali at deep square leg, and the catch appeared to be a straightforward one. But in a shocking turn of events, Jaker fumbled the catch, letting the ball hit the ground, much to Taskin’s frustration.
Ironically, Jaker had played a pivotal role in helping Bangladesh recover with a gritty 68 off 114 balls. Earlier, he was nearly dismissed for a golden duck, only for Rohit Sharma to drop an easy catch, denying Axar Patel a hat-trick.
— ashik (@ashik1587212) February 20, 2025
The cameras captured a visibly relieved Indian skipper, who let out a giggle, before venting to his teammates about how the game had come full circle. The Twitterati couldn’t help but agree with his sentiment.