Steve Smith pulls off incredible ‘catch of the century’ as Australia dismantle India in second ODI

Steve Smith took a sensational catch as Australia levelled the ODI series after thrashing India by 10 wickets in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

The Aussies ripped through India’s batting line-up, with the hosts bundled out for 117 – their fourth-lowest ODI total at home – as Mitchell Starc took five wickets and Sean Abbott chipped in with three.

One of Abbott’s scalps produced the catch of the game as Smith, who is still standing in as skipper in place of Pat Cummins, dived to his right to remove Pandya for 1.

The star all-rounder edged a length delivery from Abbott towards the slip cordon, which was spectacularly snared by Smith diving at full stretch to his right towards where third slip would normally be stationed.

Speaking on commentary, Indian cricket great Sanjay Manjreka suggested Smith’s grab had a legitimate claim to be considered ‘the catch of the century’ such was the degree of difficulty.

Steve Smith (middle) pulled off a sensational catch to remove Hardik Pandya in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam on Sunday

Smith dived full length to his right to snare a superb one-handed grab after the Indian all-rounder edged a length delivery from Sean Abbott 

‘It’s not far off,’ replied former Australia captain Aaron Finch.

‘An absolute blinder from Steve Smith. Who needs three slips when you’ve got Steve Smith standing there? 

‘He’s been known over the years to take them one handed beauties. Last game there was a lot that just got to his fingertips, but this one, straight into the hand.’

Starc finished with figures of 5-53 in his eight overs, while Abbott claimed 3-23 in six overs and Nathan Ellis snared two in five.

After India collapsed, Mitch Marsh and Travis Head made light work of the chase finishing on 66 not out and 51 not out respectively as Australia reached the victory target in just 11 overs.

The result levelled the three-match series at 1-1 heading into Wednesday’s finale in Chennai.

Marsh only opened in the first two matches due to the absence of David Warner, who missed the first match to give him more time to recover from a hairline fracture in his elbow.

Warner was due to play on Sunday, but a corked quad kept him out.

Marsh scored 81 off 65 balls in Friday’s five-wicket loss to India, and he continued to bludgeon India’s attack in game two.

His hot form as a fill-in opener has given Australia food for thought ahead of this year’s World Cup in India.

Although Marsh and Head provided the fireworks with the bat, it was Starc who set up the win with a blistering display.

The left-armer started the destruction in the opening over by tempting Shubman Gill (0) into a loose shot, with Marnus Labuschagne gobbling up the catch at backward point.

Smith gave Starc his second wicket with a juggling effort at slip to dismiss Rohit Sharma for 13.

And when Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed lbw by Starc for a golden duck for the second straight match, the Australian pace ace was on a hat-trick.

KL Rahul blocked out the hat-trick ball but was trapped in front by Starc a short time later, reducing India to 4-48.

Smith’s stunner at slip – off the bowling of Sean Abbott – made it 5-49, and Nathan Ellis snared the prized scalps of Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja (16) as India crashed to 7-91 in the 20th over.

Starc was struck for consecutive sixes by Axar Patel when he returned for another spell but finished the innings by bowling Mohammed Siraj.

Only Waqar Younis (13) and Muttiah Muralitharan (10) have more five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket than Starc’s nine.

Mitch Marsh and Travis Head made light work of the chase finishing on 66 not out and 51 not out respectively as Australia chased down 117 in just 11 overs

Mitchell Starc finished with five wickets, his ninth five-wicket haul in ODI cricket

India’s total was their fourth-lowest at home in an ODI and their third-lowest against Australia

‘We saw a clinic there from Mitch today, as we’ve seen before,’ Abbott said of Starc’s heroics.

Abbott (3-23) and Nathan Ellis (2-13) produced handy cameos.

Virat Kohli (31) top scored for his side, with Patel (29no) the only other batter to put up any fight.

It was India’s third-lowest ODI total against Australia, behind 63 at the SCG in 1981, and 100 also in Sydney in 2000.