Champions Trophy: Hardik Pandya at mid-off, Rohit Sharma at slip: How poor Indian fielding gifted Jaker Ali, Towhid Hridoy with lifelines

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE: While Indian bowlers dominated Bangladesh batters for most part of the game, it was not a flawless day for the fielders at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. After Rohit Sharma missed a regulation catch at slips, costing Axar Patel a hatrick, Hardik Pandya missed another easy chance at mid-off in the 20th over. 

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It was middle-order batter Jaker Ali who was saved from being the fourth Bangladeshi batter to be dismissed for a duck when the Indian captain missed a sitter at slips. Later, Towhid Hridoy was given a lifeline when Pandya mistimed an effort to catch the ball that was travelling towards the fence. 

Hridoy, who was batting at 23, failed to get the elevation he deserved after he attacked the second-last ball of the over from Kuldeep Yadav that was tossed up full. Pandya went with both hands but failed to complete the catch as the ball burst through his hands to hand the right-hander a single. It was the Chinaman's first over of the game.

Bangladesh were 35/5 in 8.3 overs before Hridoy and Ali managed to build a partnership that avoided a humiliating collapse. During the time of compiling this report, Bangladesh were at 86/5 in 23 overs. Towhid Hridoy was batting on 27 off 48 while Jaker Ali was on 25 off 48.

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Earlier, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to at first after winning the toss. The skipper along with veteran wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and opener Soumya Sarkar were dismissed for ducks by India. Axar Patel and Mohammed Shami got two wickets each for India while young Harshit Rana claimed one.