[Watch] Joe Root takes a stunning sliding catch near the boundary to dismiss Rashid Khan during ENG vs AFG 2023 World Cup clash
England fielder Joe Root took a stunning sliding catch near the boundary during the 2023 World Cup match against Afghanistan on Sunday (October 15) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
It was a crucial moment in the death overs of the first innings as the catch dismissed the dangerous Rashid Khan, who is well known for his big hits in slog overs in international as well as franchise cricket.
Rashid was playing a steady knock at that juncture, setting himself up for a big finish at the end. He tried to take on fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid on the first ball of the 45th over by hitting a lofted shot in the long-on region.
Unfortunately for Afghanistan, the 25-year-old could not get enough power or elevation on the shot. Root moved swiftly to his right and completed a magnificent sliding catch.
You can watch Joe Root's catch in the video below:
Afghanistan bundled out for 284 in the first innings against England as Joe Root takes four catches
England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bowl first in the contest. Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (80) looked in great touch as he hit a scintillating half-century to give the side a brisk start.
Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi's error in judgment while running ended Gurbaz's innings unceremoniously. England bowlers then reduced the Afghans to 190/6, as the middle-order batters failed to capitalize on the platform set by Gurbaz.
Ikram Alikhil (58) then hit an enterprising half-century in the company of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (28) to take the Afghan team to a respectable total of 284.
Joe Root was phenomenal on the field as he took four catches and a wicket with his off-spinners. Part-timer Liam Livingstone also bowled an economical 10-over spell giving away 30 runs, while picking up a wicket.
Reflecting on the first innings action during the break, he said:
"Looked like a good pitch first up. I think the reason we bowled first was hoping the dew comes in and makes it a bit better second time out. It was a bit harder against spin but it was a good pitch overall. I just tried to keep the stumps in play as much as I could. Thankfully it came out nice today.
He added:
"It's something I've worked pretty hard on obviously knowing what was coming up this World Cup. Sometimes I'm not needed and sometimes I'm thrown into the deep end like today. It's something I pride on. Thankfully it came out well today. It's quite hard working on both of them - making sure my leg-spin is coming out well, I've been working on my off-spin as well. It's something I enjoy."
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