The dogged batting of Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin’s magnificent hundred dominated much of the talk surrounding Day 3 of the second Test between India and England at Chennai. However, what got lost in the shuffle was the excellent wicketkeeping on display prior to that by England’s stand-in gloveman Ben Foakes. There was pressure on the 28-year old as many were critical of the fact that England had sent both Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow home. However, he ensured the two stalwarts were not missed and was directly involved and responsible for the first three wickets to fall on the day.
Former England skipper Nasser Hussan said that Foakes’ work behind the stumps was so good that England absolutely didn’t miss the services of Jos Buttler.
“Well, the biggest compliment you could pay Foakes is that he also batted so brilliantly that Buttler has proved no loss in this match,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.
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“What really stood out, though, was the glovework. This is the most difficult of surfaces to keep on with its turn and bounce. Foakes hadn’t played for a long time, and his performance proved he is the best wicketkeeper in the world right now.
“It was not just the two stumpings that highlighted how unbelievably fast his hands are; a lot of his best work went unnoticed.
“Some of his takes down the leg side, when the ball was spinning and he would have been completely blindsided by the batsmen, were incredible and I swear Joe Root reviewed a one-handed grab simply because of how outrageously good it was — as if the team were keen to see the replays on the big screen.”
Hussain said that it was great to witness how well Foakes performed especially since he was under pressure to prove he could fill in for Buttler and Bairstow.
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“When it comes to wicketkeepers, England have produced some of the all-time greats — and Monday’s masterclass from Ben Foakes was up there with any display behind the stumps you could nominate.”
“It’s an art form at which our cricketers excel, and out of the carnage of the last three days in Chennai, it was great to witness the quality of Foakes’s performance. Remember, there was pressure on him amid suggestions that it was a mistake to send Buttler home when Bairstow was still resting.”
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