Watch: Babar Azam with a one-handed screamer in the Galle Test

Babar Azam may have missed out with the bat in the ongoing Galle Test against Sri Lanka, but the Pakistani modern-day batting giant displayed his excellence and agility in the field with a spectacular catch on Day 4. The Pakistan skipper helped dismiss Lanka’s most experienced batter Angelo Matthews with a special grab in the slip cordon off left-arm spinner Noman Ali. 

As Ali drew Matthews into a defensive prod on the frontfoot before turning it past him and extracting an outside edge, Babar unleashed a valiant dive to make a difficult catch look easy. The skipper anticipated the ball’s trajectory perfectly and made sure he didn’t lose his balance as he went for the catching act. 

Given that the ball went to the first slip peerlessly close to wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Khan’s right glove, Babar Azam wouldn’t have had the best of view of the catching opportunity. But he hooked himself to the direction of the ball till the last minute and ensured Pakistan got an important breakthrough. 

Matthews’ wicket was key to Pakistan putting Sri Lanka under greater heat after reducing them to 91/2 in response to visitors’ first-innings lead of 149 runs. The wicket of the former Lanka skipper reduced them to 94/3 by lunch on the rain-marred penultimate day of the Test match. 

Babar Azam’s spectacular grab in the Galle Test

The catch arrived at the start of the 33rd over. After setting Matthews up with the ones coming in with the arm, Noman got the wicket ball to turn sharply past the right-hander’s off-stump from the straight, having drawn him into a fatal defensive push. The ball dipped and turned to take the upper half of the outside edge and just evaded the wicketkeeper’s hands to enter the slips. 

Placed there, awaiting one catching opportunity, Babar didn’t let go this chance by making a terrific one-handed grab. Initially losing a proper sighter of the ball, Babar didn’t lose his balance or standing but kept his eyes on and ensured he took the ball in his left hand with a timely dive. 

Great catch from Babar Azam!pic.twitter.com/5bG6WSow4L

— consecutive psl champions (@LQ_Enjoyer) July 19, 2023

The catch could easily have gone wrong if it had brushed Sarfaraz’s right glove or had Babar lost its sighting. But the skipper kept hooked to the ball till the last moment and timed his one-handed dive to perfection to ensure the catch was eventually taken and the desired breakthrough was earned before lunch.