“Today is the biggest day for Nepal cricket”, said Rohit Paudel, Nepal captain, during the toss as his side geared up to face India for the first time in senior men’s international cricket. They were sent in to bat by Rohit Sharma and would have expected India to come out hard with the ball and on the field.

While Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj started excellently with the new ball, creating multiple chances right from the very start, the India fielders didn’t cooperate. Three relatively easy catches were dropped within the first five overs of the innings as the fielders looked switched off and lacking energy – not the sort of sight Paudel would have had in mind during the toss.

Shreyas Iyer was the first culprit. Kushal Bhurtel attempted a cut off an outswinging back-of-a-length ball outside off stump from Shami on the last ball of the first over, only to edge it to Shreyas Iyer who was standing at first slip. The ball flew quickly to his right at around waist height and Iyer spilled it.

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Aasif Sheikh, Bhurtel’s opening partner, was then dropped off the very next ball. Siraj’s first ball was a full outswinger which Sheikh check-drived uppishly towards cover. Virat Kohli leapt to grab the ball towards his left with both hands but lost balance. He never had the ball in his control and after a failed second attempt, both Nepal openers had been given a life each seven balls into the innings.

Ishan Kishan then misjudged a gloved pull by Bhurtel on the second ball of the fifth over. Shami bowled a bouncer that was sliding down the leg side. Bhurtel only managed to get his glove on it as he attempted a pull shot. Kishan covered the ground towards his left but was in two minds about whether to catch the ball with fingers pointing up or down. In the end, he did neither as the ball snuck through him and went for four.

The Nepal openers ended up stitching a 65-run opening partnership in just 59 balls that was ultimately broken by Shardul Thakur who got Bhurtel to edge one behind to the wicketkeeper.

Considering Nepal had lost three wickets inside the first two overs against Pakistan in the tournament opener of the 2023 Asia Cup, this was a major improvement for them, brought about by India’s lacklustre catching. By the end of the 25th over of their innings, Nepal’s score read 109-4.

Watch India fielders drop three easy catches in the first five overs of the innings vs Nepal:

Team india back to back 3 catches dropped#indvsnep #nepvsind #AsiaCup2023 #AsiaCup #ViratKohli #IshanKishan #sreyasiyyar pic.twitter.com/keeKACtzB5

— Moinul Huda (@MoinulHuda2) September 4, 2023