NEW DELHI: Australia’s Alex Carey pulled off a moment of brilliance in the fourth match of Champions Trophy 2025, executing a breathtaking one-handed catch to dismiss England’s Phil Salt early in the innings on Saturday.
With Australia winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the jaw-dropping moment unfolded in the second over of England’s innings, sending the Gaddafi Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
With Ben Dwarshuis steaming in and delivering a 130.5 kph full-length ball on leg stump, Salt looked to whip it over wide mid-on. The English batter made solid contact, expecting the ball to sail to the boundary.
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But Carey had other plans.
Positioned at mid-on, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter sprinted to his right, timed his jump to perfection, and snatched the ball out of thin air with one hand.
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Commentators commended Carey’s catch for his athleticism, reflexes, and sheer brilliance. Phil Salt could only walk back in disbelief as Carey’s teammates surrounded him in celebration.
The stunning dismissal set the tone for Australia’s dominant start in their first Group B match of the tournament.
Skipper Steve Smith’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss seemed to be paying off early.
Smith, explaining his choice, cited the presence of dew and the opportunity to utilise early swing with left-arm pacers Dwarshuis and Spencer Johnson.
“Looks a pretty good surface. There was a bit of dew when we were practising, so we’d like to chase later on. Short, Head, myself, Marnus, Inglis, Carey, Maxwell, Dwarshuis, Ellis, Spencer Johnson and Zampa,” he said at the toss.
That said, the highlight of the first powerplay remained Carey’s gravity-defying heroic — an early contender for catch of the tournament.
