Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill’s steady 96-run partnership helped India to get past the 250-run mark and earn a 28 runs lead at the end of the second innings. In reply, New Zealand top order struggled against the ball turning square amidst Akash Deep’s corker to rattle Tom Latham. Eventually, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell looked to stabilise the stage in the third session before a rush of blood from the latter coupled with an extraordinary catch from Ashwin had his final stay at the crease.
The fifth ball of the 28th over saw Jadeja come around the wicket and spray a fuller one outside the stumps against Mitchell. The right-handed batter shimmied down the track in an attempt of a big slog and ended up getting the stroke off the willow’s cue end. Soon, the ball skewed off beyond mid off from where Ashwin worked out a backward dash sighting the ball mid air. He kept his sight set at the sailing red cherry and accordingly hurled towards its trajectory and eventually dived to gobble the ball with firm hands. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu-bred star was seen pumped up in ecstasy with Mohammed Siraj waiting beside for a hug. This left Mitchell astounded as 19 metre sprint from a 38-year-old lead to his downfall, leaving the Twitterverse abuzz.
Runs backwards
Keeps his eyes 👀 on the ball
Completes an outstanding catch 👍
Sensational stuff from R Ashwin! 👏 👏
Live ▶️ https://t.co/KNIvTEy04z#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @ashwinravi99 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/ONmRJWPk8t— BCCI (@BCCI) November 2, 2024
WHAT A CATCH BY RAVI ASHWIN. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2cmK73EiRh
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) November 2, 2024
What an effort!
Great!
THE GREATEST CATCH OF ASHWIN’s CAREER
Wankhede erupts like crazy!!!#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/Vs05vBxTaa— Vinesh Prabhu (@vlp1994) November 2, 2024
Super catch by Ashwin. pic.twitter.com/ubU1V7DhOi
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) November 2, 2024
Hahaha! LOL! But that was great catch!
Yes he has taken!
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken an absolute blinder! A match-winner remains a match-winner, if not with the ball then with a stunning catch.
Take a bow, @ashwinravi99! #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/tNL1lyjPpb— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) November 2, 2024
Ashwin…. Holy shit… What a catch…
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/nyrRCFvBkF— Amit Dubey (@AmitHellboyz143) November 2, 2024
That was some catch!
