[Watch] Shaheen Afridi Strikes; Salman Agha's Special Diving Catch Dismisses Travis Head
Babar Azam hugging Shaheen Afridi after a dismissal (AP Photo)
Pakistan got rid of the danger man Travis Head, Australia's in-form middle-order aggressor, in the early passage of Day 2 in the Boxing Day Test thanks to a spectacular diving catch by slip fielder Salman Agha.
As Head went for an extravagant drive through the covers off the bowling of left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi, he was undone by the late away movement and could only edge the ball to the right of the second slip.
Placed there, Salman made a terrific dive and completed one of the better catches taken by Pakistan on the ongoing trip as he had to time his side-way leap to perfection.
On a tour where Pakistan have dropped multiple sitters, Salman's catch came like a breath of fresh air for the viewers and rightfully earned him praise from his teammates, coaching staff and the commentators.
Agha Salman's Terrific Grab At MCG
The catch arrived in the 71st over of the Pakistan bowling effort. Facing Shaheen from his natural angle going away from the left-hander, Head aimed for covers to find another boundary.
However, he was outfoxed on the stroke by the late swing, which took the outside edge and handed Salman a catching opportunity.
It was a slightly tricky chance but Pakistan's second slip fielder made it look extremely easy by making a timely dive to his right and comfortably securing the grab.
The catch proved to be a critical one for Pakistan early morning on Day 2 of the Test match as it not only helped them send the attacking Head back but also triggered a rare home collapse for the Aussies.
From a dominant 3 for 204, the hosts lost their last seven wickets for just 114 runs and were all out for 318 on a surface offering the pacers significant movement off the turf apart from rising bounce.
 "Kashish Chadha")
