Sloppy work in the field from Pakistan helps the Aussies post 353

It was a pathetic display on the field by Pakistan in the 4th ODI against Australia at Sydney as they ended up conceding 353 to Australia after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat. Riding on a brilliant century by hard-hitting southpaw David Warner and a late blitz by Glenn Maxwell, the Aussies posted a mammoth 353/6 on the board in their allotted 20 overs. Hasan Ali was the standout bowler for the visitors who bagged his first five-wicket haul and finished with impressive figures of 5/52 in his allotted 10 overs.

The Pakistani fielders were pretty sloppy in the field and it was due to their innumerable misfielding and 4 dropped catches that the hosts eventually managed to post a total over 350. The goof-ups in the field started off in the 2nd over with left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir failing to gather the ball in the extra cover region, thus conceding an easy single. Amir added one more to his blemishes in the final delivery of the 8th over when he misfielded a straight drive from Usman Khawaja and the southpaw stole an easy single.

Now, it was the turn of left-arm pacer Junaid Khan to join in the fun. Sharjeel Khan didn’t help his cause either as the opener dropped rival captain Steve Smith in the 4th delivery of the 24th over as the batsman went for an uppish square cut. Sharjeel was fielding at the backward point region. The sloppy work didn’t stop as in the very next over Smith got a boundary as the deep fielder failed to gather the ball.

Now it was the turn of Azhar Ali to join in the fun. While Smith stroked a ball towards the mid-wicket, Ali came running in but eventually let it through as both the batsmen completed an easy single. In the 38th over there was an unnecessary overthrow boundary conceded by the slip fielder as Hasan Ali didn’t bother to look at the ball and receded back to his bowling mark lazily.

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Hasan Ali added another blemish to his kitty when he missed yet another catch of Glenn Maxwell in the 4th delivery of the 39th over. It was a sweep shot attempted by Maxwell which took the outside edge and went straight up in the air and Hasan changed directions four of five times before eventually failing to gather it.

Now it was the turn of Travis Head to survive a close shave. In the final delivery of the 43rd over the southpaw was dropped by Sharjeel Khan yet again. It was a slower delivery which Head ended up miscuing straight up in the air. It was a regulation catch from Sharjeel stationed at the long-on region but he failed to gather it.

In the final over it was the turn of Shoaib Malik to concede an easy boundary to Glenn Maxwell. The batsman swatted it towards the long-on region and Malik let it through his legs. It was a rather disappointing performance from the visitors as it might cost them the series.

Four dropped catches in 45 overs. Is it a joke or what? Are we seeing international cricket in Sydney? #AusvPak

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 22, 2017

Bad news: Pakistan need 354, a score never been clocked in a runchase in Australia & now widout Azhar. Good news: there's always a 1st time

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) January 22, 2017

Guess we shud investigate d food Pakistan r having at SCG. Never seen so many fumbles n drops in one innings. Oily food? Butter fingers?

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) January 22, 2017