Steve Smith, the Australian cricket sensation, is recognized for his exceptional athleticism and reliable catching abilities on the field. In the ongoing second One-Day International (ODI) against India at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, he once again demonstrated his skills.
In the absence of Pat Cummins, who couldn’t travel to India due to his mother’s passing, Smith is leading the Australian team in the ODI series. During the 10th over of the Indian innings, bowled by Sean Abbott, Smith took an impressive catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya.
The fast bowler delivered a 132.3kph seam-up ball that straightened after pitching short of a good length, tempting Pandya to attempt a push. However, Pandya’s shot resulted in a thick outside edge, causing the ball to fly swiftly towards the wider area of first slip.
At first, it seemed as though the ball would easily avoid the fielder at first slip. However, Smith had a different idea in mind. He executed a breathtaking one-handed catch by diving full-length towards his right, leaving everyone in awe.
At the start of the match, the visiting team won the toss and chose to bowl first. Both teams made some adjustments to their playing XIs. India brought in two new players, with captain Rohit Sharma returning to lead the team after missing the first ODI for personal reasons. Rohit replaced Ishan Kishan, while all-rounder Axar Patel took the place of pacer Shardul Thakur.
