Dinesh Karthik takes a stunner to get rid of Daryl Mitchell

WELLINGTON: Dinesh Karthik pulled off a stunning catch in the first T20I against New Zealand to get rid of Daryl Mitchell. After dropping a skier earlier in the innings, Karthik redeemed himself by getting rid of the debutant.

The final ball of the 15th over, bowled by Hardik Pandya, saw Mitchell go for a slog down the ground but he failed to connect it cleanly and it gave the fielder at long on a chance.

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With the ball headed towards him, Karthik completed the catch but knew that he was perilously close to the ropes. In a split second, he lobbed the ball in the air and stepped outside the ropes before diving back into the field and completing the catch right in the nick of time.

In one sweeping motion, Karthik completed a stunning catch to get rid of Mitchell, who was starting to look dangerous on his debut, which completed a rare family double (his father is a former rugby player and All Blacks coach).

Earlier in the innings, Karthik dropped the dangerous Tim Seifert on 71. Although the ball was in the air for a long time, he didn't look particularly comfortable and ended up dropping it at long on.

Given how Seifert was batting it could have ended up being costly but he was dismissed for 84 by Khaleel Ahmed, which would have had Karthik breathing a sigh of relief.

That was far from the end of the road for the 33-year-old in the field during the Wellington T20I as he proceeded to drop another sitter, this time, Ross Taylor on 19 while fielding at deep mid-wicket. Again that didn't cost India too much as he was dismissed in the following over for 23.

It was a mixed bag for the wicketkeeper as he dropped two sitters and took a sensational catch as the hosts put on 219/6 in their 20 overs after being put into bat.