Watch: Daryl Mitchell took an excellent catch low to the ground to dismiss Babar Azam during the first World Cup warm-up match between Pakistan and New Zealand today (September 29).
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The Pakistan captain had already registered a half-century and was closing in on a hundred just over half way through the team’s innings. Facing Mitchell Santner, he whacked a six off the first ball of the over, thumping a tossed up delivery flat over the midwicket boundary. After taking a single off the following ball, he was back on strike for the fourth delivery of the over.
Santner took the pace off a length delivery which pitched on off stump, and Babar attempted to heave it into the leg side. However, he mistimed the shot and was only able to spoon it up just outside the inner ring.
Mitchell came running in from long-on and took the catch with both hands, inches above the grass. He had to dive almost sideways along the ground to get his hands low enough to both be underneath the ball, and ended up on his back on the grass before holding the ball up to indicate the catch was clean.
There were brief concerns that New Zealand had suffered another finger injury before the start of the World Cup as Mitchell wrung his hand after the dismissal. But he was able to bowl later on in the innings, allaying any concerns.
Babar had to depart for 80 as Pakistan set New Zealand 346 to win, Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with an unbeaten century.
Watch: Daryl Mitchell takes superb catch to dismiss Babar Azam
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