New Delhi: 35.6 – Jadeja to Phillips, 1 run, Gill drops one this time, running to the left from deep square leg. He slid, a bit of the turf came off as the knee went into the ground. He reached out low to the left, got both hands on it but it popped to the left, into the ground. Replays show he tried to claw the ball with ball palms coming towards the centre from the side, but the grabbage doesn’t work. Jadeja raises his hands but manages half a smile. Was a shortish ball on middle, 102ks, didn’t rise as much as Phillips expected. He, like Mitchell, went through with the pull. Got it off the base of the bat

Phillips’ chance didn’t cost India much either. He was on 27 when Gill put him down and Phillips was gone overs later for 34, foxed by Varun Chaktravarthy’s googly. Mitchell, however, went on to make a half-century and was eventually dismissed for 63 in the 46th over by Shami.
[20:12, 3/9/2025] Harsh: In the Champions Trophy final in Dubai, India’s fielding fell short after New Zealand chose to bowl first. The team missed four catching opportunities—occurring in two clusters: first with the new ball, and later during the middle overs when left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were on. These lapses allowed crucial reprieves for batsmen Rachin Ravindra (twice), Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips. Below is a detailed account of those chances:

Over 6.3:
Mohammed Shami bowled to Ravindra, and in a misjudged attempt, Shami tried to take a catch using his fingertips. In his follow-through, he appeared to be regaining his balance when he noticed the ball drifting high to his left. His hands, likely obstructing his view, failed to secure the catch while his left leg flailed as he moved. The full-length delivery, aimed between the middle and leg stump, saw Ravindra trying to drive it to the bowler’s right—but the bat twisted on impact, and the ball passed through.

Over 7.1:
With Ravindra on 28, a second chance emerged. Bowling Varun’s delivery, a fielder positioned at deep midwicket charged in for a catch. Sprinting and covering about 21 meters, he slid in a desperate effort for a low catch. Despite his quick start, his grip faltered as the ball came in low, and instead of popping into his hands, it slipped away—leaving him frustrated as a teammate eventually collected the ball. This reprieve proved costly in a broader sense, as Ravindra was dismissed for 37 soon after, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav with his very first ball of the 11th over.

Over 34.5:
The pressure continued as Axar Patel bowled to Daryl Mitchell. At midwicket, Rohit attempted a one-handed catch but failed. He leaped and raised his right hand; however, his timing was slightly off, and he tipped the catch while falling backwards. Positioned 27 meters away, his jump had been well-timed against the 93 km/h delivery, but the pace overwhelmed him. Mitchell went on to play a powerful pull shot, capitalizing on the missed opportunity.

Over 35.6:
During a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja aimed at Glenn Phillips, another drop occurred. Gill, running in from deep square leg, slid and lost some grip as his knee met the turf. Reaching out low with both hands, he attempted to secure the catch but ended up watching the ball pop to the left. Replays indicated that although he tried to claw the ball with his palms moving inward, his effort fell short. Jadeja, acknowledging the miss with a half-smile, continued his spell. The ball—delivered at 102 km/h—did not rise as much as Phillips expected, leading him to go for a pull shot. Despite the chance costing India little in the moment, Phillips eventually was dismissed (caught off a deceptive googly from Varun Chakravarthy) for 34, after being on 27. Meanwhile, Mitchell continued his innings, reaching a half-century before eventually being bowled by Shami in the 46th over for 63.