Watch: Axar Patel grins after dropping Phil Salt's dolly catch to leave Hardik Pandya shell-shocked during IND vs ENG 2nd ODI

During the second ODI between India and England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, India's Axar Patel missed an easy-peasy catch off Hardik Pandya's bowling. It all happened in the sixth over, with England having made a strong start to their innings after choosing to bat first. England opener Ben Duckett had been particularly aggressive, scoring 34 runs off his first 24 balls.

Axar Patel drops an easy-peasy catch off Hardik Pandya's bowling

Meanwhile, Phil Salt, had been more cautious but was looking to accelerate when he attempted a shot off a short delivery from Pandya. The ball went high towards Axar Patel at third man, who was well-placed to take the catch. However, he failed to hold on to the ball, much to the disappointment of Pandya and the rest of the Indian team. While Axar Patel appeared to take the missed opportunity in his stride, Hardik Pandya's reaction showed his frustration at the dropped catch.

ALSO READ: Not Australia or Pakistan, Ravichandran Ashwin picks strongest teams in Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma's plan to position Axar at third man anticipating a quick breakthrough during the powerplay almost did the work for India. As per the plan, Salt's shot went high in the air, offering a simple catch. Axar duly prepared himself, but the ball didn't settle and bounced off his hands and fell to the ground. This mishap left the entire Indian contingent deflated, and Hardik Pandya was visibly shaken. His reaction was one of disbelief, throwing his hands up in the air before sinking to the ground in frustration.

The camera then captured India's fielding coach, T Dilip, who was patrolling the boundary ropes. He could only watch the dropped catch with a helpless smile on his face, a mixture of disappointment and perhaps amusement at the unfortunate turn of events.  The missed opportunity was a setback for India, and the reactions of the players and coaching staff clearly showed their disappointment.

Watch the video here:

Shortly after the dropped catch, Axar Patel was seen sharing a laugh with a teammate, who made a gesture towards him, seemingly in good humor about the missed opportunity.  The broadcasters did not capture the teammate's specific action, but it was clear that the incident was being treated lightly within the Indian team despite the initial disappointment.

Meanwhile, England capitalised on their strong start after a solid 75-run opening partnership during the powerplay, with Duckett reaching his half-century. However, debutant Varun Chakravarthy soon halted England's robust start, who claimed the first wicket for India. Chakravarthy dismissed Phil Salt, for 26 runs off 29 balls. Salt mistimed a flighted delivery, offering a simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja at mid-on.

India's Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy

England's Playing XI:

Philip Salt(w), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood