India produced a dream start against Afghanistan in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, with Prasidh Krishna and Rohit Sharma combining to create a unique piece of ODI history.
After Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opted to bat, Prasidh struck with the very first ball of the innings. In-form opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz edged a delivery outside off stump straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip, departing for 5.
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The Indian pacer continued to trouble Afghanistan’s top order with his disciplined bowling. In the sixth over, Rahmat Shah also fell for 5 after producing a leading edge that was safely caught by Rohit.
Two overs later, Ibrahim Zadran became the third victim of the same combination. Attempting an expansive drive away from his body, he edged the ball to first slip, where Rohit completed his third catch of the innings.
Remarkably, all three wickets fell in almost identical fashion, with Prasidh finding the outside edge and Rohit making no mistake in the cordon.
The sequence helped India register a never-before-seen ODI record. Across India’s 1,078 ODI matches, this was the first occasion where the same bowler-fielder combination accounted for the first three wickets of an innings.
| Batter | Runs | Bowler | Catcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 5 | Prasidh Krishna | Rohit Sharma |
| Rahmat Shah | 5 | Prasidh Krishna | Rohit Sharma |
| Ibrahim Zadran | – | Prasidh Krishna | Rohit Sharma |
Previous instances of three catches off same bowler for India
| Fielder | Bowler | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VVS Laxman | Irfan Pathan | Zimbabwe | Perth | 2004 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Jasprit Bumrah | Bangladesh | Dubai | 2018 |
| Rohit Sharma | Prasidh Krishna | Afghanistan | Chennai | 2026 |
