"They have possibly lost a place in the semis" - Gambhir on the ramifications of Marsh's dropped catch during IND vs AUS 2023 ODI WC match

Gautam Gambhir believes that Australia may come to regret the missed opportunity to dismiss ace Indian batter Virat Kohli early in the 2023 ODI World Cup league-stage match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Chasing 200, India were reeling at 2-3 when Kohli and KL Rahul were in the middle in a bid to forge a partnership and gain some momentum. The Men in Blue had trudged to 20-3 in the eighth over when further disaster almost struck.

The whole of India was off their seats when Kohli hit a mistimed pull shot off Josh Hazlewood's bowling. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh both ran in for the catch, but it was ultimately the latter who spilled the chance to give Kohli a major lifeline.

The former skipper made Australia pay by scoring 85 runs off 116 deliveries to help Team India script a six-wicket win.

Opining that Australia may very well miss out on finishing in the top four of the league stage courtesy of the dropped catch, Gambhir said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda:

"India would have been under a lot of pressure had they been at 10-4 or 20-4. With a batter like Kohli dismissed, it would have been difficult for India to chase down the score. So, not only did Australia lose the match with that dropped catch, they have possibly lost a place in the semis as well."

"The World Cup is such a tournament that due to this dropped catch, Australia might find themselves out of the top four and not reach the semi finals. After losing to India, Australia's remaining matches against the top sides will be must-win encounters," Gambhir added.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul went on to stitch up 165 runs for the fourth wicket after the early wobble. Australia had no chance of making a comeback into the game, with the dropped catch being the last opportunity that they availed to put pressure on the Indians.

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"It was like when Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh's catch in the 1999 World Cup" - Sreesanth

During the Super Six stage contest between Australia and South Africa at the 1999 World Cup, South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh in the 31st over, with Australia placed at 152-3 while trying to chase 272. The Australia skipper scored a century and guided his time to a win in the final over.

The drop proved costly for the Proteas, not only in the context of that particular match but in the tournament as well. The win in the Super Six allowed Australia to progress into the final after their semi-final encounter against the Proteas was tied.

Former India bowler S Sreesanth claimed that the comparison could be made even at this early stage of the tournament. He said in the exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda:

"The way Kohli calculated his innings was great. His partnership was Rahul was important for Team India. When Kohli's catch was dropped, we were speaking about it on commentary as well, it was like when Gibbs dropped Steve Waugh's catch in the 1999 World Cup. Back then, Australians told him that he dropped the World Cup."

Will Australia miss out on the semi-finals because of the dropped catch in their opening clash of the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.