[Watch] KL Rahul takes sharp diving catch to dismiss Steve Smith in 1st IND vs AUS ODI
Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul grabbed an outstanding catch in the first ODI against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, March 17.
Rahul completed a fantastic diving catch to dismiss Steve Smith, giving the Men in Blue a massive breakthrough. Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya bowled one wide of the off stump to his Australian counterpart in the 13th over.
Smith tried to play through the point region, but could only manage to get an outside edge. KL Rahul did the rest behind the stumps, diving to his right to take a fine catch.
Here's the video of KL Rahul's impressive glovework:
Meanwhile, India won the toss and decided to field first in the clash. Right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj drew first blood for the Men in Blue, dismissing opener Travis Head for just five runs.
Mitchell Marsh and Smith steadied the ship for their team, orchestrating a crucial 72-run partnership. However, the stand-in Aussie skipper departed after mustering 22 runs off 30 deliveries.
KL Rahul likely the frontrunner to be India's keeper for the ODI World Cup
The Indian think tank has gone ahead with KL Rahul as the side's keeper-batter in recent ODI encounters. With Rishabh Pant unlikely to participate in the upcoming 50-over World Cup on home soil, Rahul has emerged as the frontrunner for the position.
The 30-year-old has a chance of making a strong case for himself by doing well in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Australia. Furthermore, a good series here with the bat and gloves could help him find a spot in India's playing XI for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Rahul has done well in England, and he could be the best bet for Rohit Sharma and Co. in the WTC final. While he has not kept wickets for India in red-ball cricket, he could still be handed the position, given that it is a one-off encounter.
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The WTC final between India and Australia is set to be played at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11, while the ICC ODI World Cup will be played in India later this year from October.