KL Rahul in action during first Test match against Bangladesh© AFP
Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh is considered by many to be one of the best slip fielders in modern cricket. Waugh played a major role in Australia’s dominance in the 1990s and his fielding was seen as a major asset for the team. Indian cricket team’s fielding coach T Dilip compared KL Rahul to Waugh while analysing his catch during the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chennai. Rahul missed a lot of runs but he made a sharp catch at second slip to dismiss the dangerous Mushfiqur Rahim.
Dilip said Rahul's catch showed good technique from the Indian batsman and even compared it to the strategy used by Waugh when he was playing.
“The best part of that catch was KL following it with his hands. Nice, soft hands to finish it, but by the time it's taken, you can see he's literally finishing behind his body. If you maintain the right position where you either open your hips or open your toe slightly, it helps you follow the ball even if it's slightly behind you. And that was the technique you saw the great Mark Waugh use. Even if the ball goes behind your body, if you open that hip, that little door, you can continue to follow that path. And that was a great example,” Dilip said in a video shared by the BCCI.
“Great in the slip cordon but also at mid-on, he showed great control in the way he went to catch that ball because he really dove right in front of him, and to have that awareness to get his fingers under the ball and get his timing right on the impact. With his height, I think it was a great catch to watch,” added the Indian cricket team's fielding coach.
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