Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes a sharp catch to send Glenn Maxwell packing

Maxwell couldn’t get hold of the ball and subsequently mistimed it.

Published - 18 Jan 2019, 13:34 IST | Updated - 18 Jan 2019, 13:34 IST

2 Min Read

The last few months for Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been tough, to say the least. Earlier, he encountered a back problem owing to which he had to miss a number of matches. To add to his misery, he didn’t get to play a single match in the four-match Test series against Australia even when the visiting team decided to go in with an all-pace attack at the new Perth Stadium where India lost by 146 runs.

However, he was back in business in the ongoing ODI series against Aaron Finch’s Aussies. The Meerut-born bowled beautifully and picked up a couple of wickets in the series opener at the Sydney Cricket Ground, albeit he conceded runs at an alarming rate. In the second match at the Adelaide Oval, the 28-year-old showed his class and picked up four crucial wickets that helped India win the match.

The speedster came into his own even in the third and final ODI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In fact, he finished with stupendous figures of 8-1-28-2. He accounted for the wickets of both the openers in Finch and Alex Carey. In the meantime, Bhuvneshwar also put forth some athletic display of work in the outfield. Glenn Maxwell was looking ominous after scoring 26 from 19 balls.

Bhuvi takes a beauty

With five boundaries, the Victorian threatened to take the match away from Virat Kohli and Co. However, Mohammed Shami nipped him out. But the dismissal wouldn’t have been possible without Bhuvi’s effort in the deep. The speedster churned out a well-directed bouncer that didn’t bounce much. Therefore, the batsman couldn’t get hold of the ball and subsequently mistimed it.

The leather took the bat’s top edge and sailed up into the air. Kumar came charging in from the deep fine leg region and judged the cherry to perfection. He kept his eyes on the leather throughout and got himself into a good position. He had to move a tad on to his left and he dived to catch hold of the ball with both hands. Kumar also landed properly to ensure that the ball didn’t bounce out.