NEW DELHI: The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy witnessed a jaw-dropping moment of athleticism and awareness on Day 1, as Marnus Labuschagne pulled off a sensational rebound catch to dismiss Harshit Rana.
The dismissal, occurring in the 47th over, exemplified Australia’s dominance in the field and their ability to capitalize on half-chances.
Facing Josh Hazlewood, Harshit Rana attempted to punch a short-of-length delivery outside off through the covers but ended up edging it.
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The ball flew quickly to the gully, where debutant Corey McSweeney dived to his left, stretching out a single hand but failing to hold onto the catch.
Instead, the ball deflected off McSweeney’s hand and went sharply to Labuschagne at third slip.
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Reacting with lightning speed, Labuschagne dived to his right and grabbed the ball inches off the ground with his outstretched right hand.
The crowd erupted as Australia celebrated what might be one of the catches of the series.
Even Harshit Rana, who had struck one boundary in his brief seven-ball stay, could only look on in disbelief before heading back to the pavilion.
Labuschagne’s brilliance came at a crucial juncture, reducing India to 128/8 in their first innings.
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It was the second wicket of Hazlewood’s fiery spell, as he ended with impressive figures of 4/29 in 13 overs, ably supported by Mitchell Starc (2/14) and skipper Pat Cummins (2/67).
India’s innings folded for a meagre 150 in just 49.4 overs, with no batter except Rishabh Pant (37) and Nitish Reddy (41) showing any resistance. The dismissal of Harshit Rana, however, drew immediate comparisons to some of the greatest moments in slip-fielding history.
