Wellington: Indian captain Shubman Gill found himself at the centre of intense online criticism during the second One-Day International against New Zealand at Wellington after putting down a regulation catch. Operating under overcast skies, India's bowling attack had reduced the hosts to a precarious position when a lapse in concentration on the field granted the Black Caps a major reprieve.

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The incident occurred in the 17th over of the New Zealand innings. Medium-pacer Anshul Kamboj delivered a back-of-length ball that experienced batter Daryl Mitchell attempted to heave aggressively across the line. Mistiming the shot completely, Mitchell top-edged a high skier toward the mid-off region where Gill was stationed. Despite having ample time to judge the trajectory and settle underneath the descending ball, the Indian skipper failed to pouch the opportunity, fumbling the chance at the eleventh hour.

KL Rahul’s Disbelief and Mitchell's Lucky Reprieve

The dropped chance immediately sparked widespread dismay among the touring side, with wicketkeeper KL Rahul captured by broadcast cameras looking on in absolute disbelief. The blunder proved particularly excruciating given that Mitchell himself was fully convinced he was out, having already begun walking slowly toward the pavilion before noticing the ball had spilt on the turf.

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Mitchell was batting on 21 runs off 36 deliveries at the time of the error. Denied a certain wicket, bowler Anshul Kamboj and the rest of the Indian fielding unit expressed visible frustration over the missed dismissal. Capitalising heavily on the lifeline, the resilient Kiwi middle-order anchor capitalised on the error to anchor the innings, eventually grinding out a gritty half-century that rescued New Zealand from deeper trouble.

Social Media Backlash Follows Costly Field Lapses

The missed opportunity instantly lit up social media platforms, with cricket fans and digital pundits heavily scrutinising the Indian captain for the uncharacteristic error. While elite international-standard fielding is widely expected at the highest level, commentators and online analysts noted that such lapses against disciplined opponents can carry severe consequences.

One user posted, “Anshul Kamboj induces the top edge, but Shubman Gill drops an absolute sitter at mid-off. What a costly miss”

“Temple wear krne se catch nhi pakde jaate...Gill sahab dhyan ball pr rakho.... FUNNY was
Dharamsena was SHOCKED TO SEE GILL DROPPED A DOLLY OFF A CATCH..…,” posted another user.

The missed chance added 34 crucial runs to Mitchell's eventual score before he was finally dismissed for 55. Although India's pace unit, spearheaded by Gurnoor Brar's four-wicket haul, ultimately succeeded in bundling out New Zealand for a modest 134, the fielding blunder remained a major talking point of the first innings.