Former Indian batter Irfan Pathan believes Naman Dhir was a bit too relaxed when he dropped Tim Seifert’s catch in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton on Sunday.
In the run-chase of 192, Arshdeep Singh was able to produce New Zealand opener’s outside edge but Dhir failed to grab a simple catch in the fourth over of the innings. Dhir is known for his electric fielding but he was a bit casual when the chance came his way at the third man region.
The drop catch proved costly as Seifert went on to score a match-winning knock of 93 runs off just 50 balls.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “Tim Seifert scored almost 100 runs, finishing with 93. When his catch was dropped, he was batting on around 13-14. The catch was dropped by Naman Dhir. The lights were certainly a factor where he was positioned, and the ball was dipping slightly. It also seemed that Naman was a bit relaxed. That catch, in particular, could have changed things had it been taken.”
Pathan highlighted that the New Zealand opener was able to make the most of his second life as he never looked back in his innings.
He added, “Once he got that opportunity, he never looked back. His batting was absolutely brilliant. And the way he maintained the momentum was commendable, which is why it never felt like New Zealand were out of the game at any point.”
Pathan noted that the most disappointing aspect of the fifth T20I game was the fielding as Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy also bungled catches. New Zealand was also sloppy in the field, as Blair Tickner and Adam Milne dropped simple catches.
He concluded, “The most disappointing aspect of this entire contest has been the fielding. There were two instances of straightforward misfields, one by Ishan Kishan and another by Nitish Kumar Reddy. Naman Dhir also dropped a catch, and these were very important factors.”
India will now take on New Zealand in a five-match ODI series.
