Watch: In the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, KS Bharat dropped a simple chance of Travis Head, drawing criticism from the commentators.

Australia won the toss in Ahmedabad, on what has looked the best batting wicket on the series so far. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav began in erratic fashion before settling down, and Bharat conceded two sets of four byes in the first two overs.

Shami and Umesh did beat the bat from time to time. In the first over, Shami found Usman Khawaja’s edge, but the ball landed safely.

The chance came in the sixth over, when Umesh bowled a good-length ball outside off stump. Having cut the previous ball, Travis Head had probably read the length wrong, and looked cramped for room as the ball came at him.

The ball took the edge and went to Bharat’s at an awkward height. With his fingers still pointing downwards, Bharat had no time to react, and the ball ran past his wrist to hit him in the torso. Bharat tried to catch the ball on the rebound but failed, and watched in horror as the ball hit the ground.

Bharat’s drop drew criticism from the commentators. Sunil Gavaskar pointing out that the catch was “as easy as they come”, before admitting to “in Test cricket no catch is easy”.

“A real sitter put down – a straightforward chance,” Ravi Shastri echoed Gavaskar’s thoughts.

“He just got his hands in the wrong position. He got done and then he didn’t make the adjustment … A stubbornness in his thinking knowing that the ball should always be here,” explained Matthew Hayden.

Dinesh Karthik pointed out that Bharat’s hands were “slightly lower than where they should have been,” theorising that “you get the feeling that he is slightly nervous.”

Head, on seven at that point, hit five fours off Umesh, and seemed set for a big score, but he mistimed a shot off R Ashwin and was caught by Ravindra Jadeja for 32.

Shami later bowled Labuschagne (3). At lunch, Australia were 75-2 with Khawaja on 32 and Smith on two.

Watch KS Bharat’s drop of Travis Head here:

KS bharat drop here. You can see he takes a step to the legside. (Second photo) So already he is unbalanced, and then he doesn't quiet get to the ball, he reaches out (last photo) very tough to take a opposite step then come back in. Technical error #INDvsAUSTest #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/7pwSdIPUKu

— lucas (@LucasR32sky) March 9, 2023