Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw slip through India’s hands as Australia take control

Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw enjoyed several lives as India’s woeful fielding helped Australia take firm control of the first Test in Pune. Smith is unbeaten on a fifty after bring dropped thrice.

If India go on to lose the first Test in Pune, catching is going to be biggest difference between the visitors and the hosts. While Australia were throwing themselves around, converting improbable chances into stunning dismissals, India seemed to have lost the plot in fielding. (Pune Test, Day 2 highlights)

Australian batsman Matt Renshaw plays a shot on Day 2 of the first India vs Australia Test in Pune on Friday. India dropped crucial catches in a low-scoring contest to compound their miseries after being all out for 105 in their first innings. (PTI)

There is no doubt Australia captain Steve Smith is their best bat apart from David Warner. However, India committed the sacrilege of giving Steve Smith three lives within a span of 15 overs.

The first chance came in the 15th over when Steve Smith was on 23 and Australia 57/2. Chasing a wide ball from R Ashwin, Smith’s flick came a tad too quickly for Murali Vijay to grasp at leg slip.

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Smith was dropped again five overs later, by substitute fielder Abhinav Mukund. Coming down the pitch, the Australia captain’s flick didn’t connect well but Mukund, parked at mid-on, couldn’t hold on to the catch despite diving to his right.

Australian batsman Steve Smith enjoyed three lives on Day 2 of the first Test in Pune on Friday. (PTI)

Mukund committed the biggest howler in the 29th over when Smith, on 37, inside-edged Ashwin on to his pads. Fielding at short-leg, Mukund was in a perfect position to pouch the ricochet but he grassed that one as well.

Matt Renshaw, hero of Australia’s first innings, too was dropped, on 25, when Vijay’s hand came in the way of the edge that was flying to Ajinkya Rahane at first slip. It didn’t prove too costly as Renshaw was dismissed for 31.

But given the fact Steve Smith has cantered to an unbeaten 59 and Australia already have an overall lead of 298, India would be ruing the lives given to the Australia captain.

Dropping catches isn’t a new problem for India.

Despite winning the England series 4-0, India captain Virat Kohli had said their fielding needed rapid improvement. But on a day Australia --- led by the proactive fielding of Peter Handscomb --- dropped nothing, India showed they are yet to walk the talk.