"Our catching efficiency is second from bottom" - Aakash Chopra criticizes India's fielding in Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash vs Bangladesh

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that India's poor catching might have cost them the game in their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash against Bangladesh.

Shakib Al Hasan and Co. took advantage of the Men in Blue's benevolence in the field to set them a 266-run target in Colombo on Friday, September 15. They then bowled out Rohit Sharma and Co. for 259 to register a six-run win and end their tournament on a positive note.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra criticized India's fielding. He said:

"India dropped catches as usual. Our situation is so bad that if we check out the catches for the last one year, our catching efficiency is second from bottom. So we are not taking catches at all, we keep on dropping them."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that India's dismal catching against Bangladesh was an encore of their efforts in the field against Nepal earlier in the tournament and that they were made to pay for it this time around. He stated:

"We dropped a lot of catches in this match and dropped catches against Nepal as well. In the end, catches win you matches, and if you don't hold on to them, it makes you lose matches and it happened."

India dropped three catches in the first few overs in the group-stage game against Nepal. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav gave lives to Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the 10th over of Bangladesh's innings in Friday's game, with KL Rahul later putting down an offering from Shakib Al Hasan.

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"They might have got out for 200 and we would have won the match" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul's dropped catch

Shakib Al Hasan made India pay for the let-off given to him. [P/C: AP]

Aakash Chopra highlighted that KL Rahul's dropped catch of Shakib Al Hasan off Tilak Varma's bowling might have altered the result of the game. He explained:

"If KL Rahul had held Shakib Al Hasan's catch off Tilak Varma's bowling, Tilak might have bowled eight or nine overs as well, Shakib wouldn't have scored runs, they might have got out for 200 and we would have won the match."

While acknowledging that it was an inconsequential game, Chopra added that the Indian team cannot afford to commit such basic mistakes. He elaborated:

"I understand it was a dead rubber and it wouldn't have mattered whether you won or lost, but you don't like a loss as it hurts you. So win if you can. You can at least do the basics right."

Shakib was dropped by Rahul on 28. The Bangladesh skipper made the most of the reprieve and went on to score an 85-ball 80, which, along with his spell of 1/43, earned him the Player of the Match award.