Celebrated commentator Ravi Shastri showed no mercy on Indian superstars after Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan made a mess of the early chances provided by frontline pacers during Team India's crucial match against Nepal at the Asia Cup 2023 on Monday. India were off to an awful start in its second encounter of the Asia Cup against the tournament debutants as Rohit Sharma's men dropped three catches inside the first powerplay at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
With pace ace Jasprit Bumrah unavailable for the fifth Group A match against Nepal, senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami kickstarted the proceedings for the Men In Blue. Dropped from India's playing XI for its blockbuster clash with Pakistan, pacer Shami almost made an immediate impact by producing a leading edge from Kushal Bhurtel's willow on the penultimate ball of the first over.
India drop 3 catches in 20 balls!
However, Bhurtel was given a lifeline by Iyer, who failed to take the catch of the Nepal opener in the first over. Following Iyer's costly error, former Indian skipper Kohli dropped an absolute sitter on the first ball of Mohammed Siraj's over. Kohli, who is regarded as a gun fielder, handed Aasif Sheikh an early reprieve in the second over of the innings. Piling more misery on Team India, Bhurtel got a boundary in Shami's third over.
Shastri blasts Kishan on-air
Interestingly, Bhurtel handed Kishan an easy opportunity to take a routine catch by getting a glove on the ball. However, a sloppy Kishan failed to cash in on the opportunity in the fifth over. Lashing out at the Indian team on-air, commentator Shastri slammed the Men In Blue for their sloppy work in the first powerplay. "Sloppy from India, really! This is straightforward. Ample time. No excuse though from the keeper's point of view. This is as straightforward as it can get," an agitated Shastri said during the match commentary.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, Bhurtel handed Kishan an easy opportunity to take a routine catch by getting a glove on the ball. However, a sloppy Kishan failed to cash in on the opportunity in the fifth over. Lashing out at the Indian team on-air, commentator Shastri slammed the Men In Blue for their sloppy work in the first powerplay. "Sloppy from India, really! This is straightforward. Ample time. No excuse though from the keeper's point of view. This is as straightforward as it can get," an agitated Shastri said during the match commentary.
{{/usCountry}}Setting an example on the field, skipper Rohit plucked a sharp catch to dismiss Nepal captain Rohit Paudel for 5 off 8 balls in the 20th over. Leading India's fightback against Nepal, senior spinner Ravindra Jadeja bagged three wickets to restrict the Asia Cup debutants to 101-4 in 21.5 overs.