NEW DELHI: Catching in the slips need specialist fielders and Indian cricket has been blessed with some great slip catchers in Test cricket. The name of Rahul Dravid, the present India head coach comes straight to mind when one thinks of fine catchers in the slips in recent times in Indian cricket.
Against the pacers, India have Shubman Gill at first slip and he even took 3 catches off Jasprit Bumrah in the England first innings. But Gill is off the field in the England second innings as he hurt his right index finger while fielding on Day 2.
Against the spinners, it is India captain Rohit Sharma who stands in the slips, with the home team looking for quick wickets on Day 4.
Ollie Pope, who was dismissed by a toe-crushing yorker by Bumrah in the first innings, was dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin in the first session thanks to a superb quick reflex catch by Rohit Sharma.
On a length angling across, Pope got back to cut and the ball fizzed off the edge towards the left of Rohit at slip. The Indian skipper hung out his left hand and plucked out a sharp catch without getting up to dismiss Pope for 23.
The reaction time was just 0.45 seconds for Rohit Sharma.
The BCCI shared a video of the catch on X:
