India pacer Mohammed Siraj took a blinder of a catch to dismiss West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood in West Indies’ first innings of the first Test in Dominica.
It was a poor shot selection, and not good execution from Jermaine Blackwood, but great credit goes to Mohammed Siraj for plucking a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss the WI number 4.
It was the last ball before Lunch on Day 1 in Dominica. And instead of playing the last ball from Ravindra Jadeja safely, Jermaine Blackwood, giving no caution to the fact that West Indies had already lost three wickets in the first session, threw his hands and went for a big shot, aiming for the straight boundary.
A loopy ball from Ravindra Jadeja and Jermaine Blackwood attempted to tonk it down the ground. However, he didn’t get the connection right and ended up slicing it over Jadeja. Mohammed Siraj from mid-off back-peddalled and went to his right. Siraj put out both of his hands toward the flying ball and the ball got into his right hand. Even as Mohammed Siraj went down on the ground, thudding and grassing his elbow, he didn’t let the ball off his hand.
He lay there for a while, in a bit of pain and also in relief that he caught the ball before the other Indian players reached to him and patted him on the back for completing such a spectacular catch. Jermaine Blackwood and his West Indies teammates and coaches wouldn’t be happy with this shot selection.
Watch: Mohammed Siraj’s stunning one-handed catch
Miyaan Bhai ki daring 😯 #INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/LUdvAmmbVr
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Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and elected to bat first. But it wasn’t a good first session for the hosts. R Ashwin knocked over young left-handed opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul before dismissing Brathwaite. Shardul Thakur got in the act and got rid of Raymon Reifer, edging to wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan. Jadeja struck on the last ball before Lunch, dismissed Blackwood courtest of a jaw-dropping catch from Siraj.