The legendary MS Dhoni has lengthy been a margin of reference relating to wicketkeeping throughout codecs. And that features numerous points behind the stumps together with contributions to DRS critiques. There have been few who’ve come near matching the previous India captain in any of the wicketkeeping points, not to mention carry out higher than him. However, England wicketkeeping nice Alec Stewart has made an audacious declare on compatriot Ben Foakes, saying that he has been faster behind the stumps than Dhoni.
Former England wicketkeeper has in contrast Ben Foakes with MS Dhoni
Stewart’s remark got here after the second Test in Visakhapatnam between India and England, the place Foakes carried out impressively, together with choosing two essential catches for the guests off the bowling of leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed. Overall, within the tour of India, he grabbed six catches and inflicted two stumpings
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“He does things that no one else can do. His hand speed is second to none,” Stewart informed The Times. “MS Dhoni had quick hands but Foakes has the quickest hands in the game and the ball stays in them.”
The veteran of 133 Tests and 170 ODI appearances for England additional defined the adjustments Foakes made in his coaching routine in a bid to maintain for lengthy hours towards spin on Indian situations.
“He knew there would be a lot of spin bowling so it (his training) was 80-20 in favour of his standing-up stuff, which he’s brilliant at anyway — the ball bouncing, the ball turning, the ball keeping low. That’s why I was so pleased for him, after all the hours he’s put in, and then he gets rewarded with some of the catches he took.”
“We’d discuss the position of his feet, the height he gets, where his hands are. He leads it. We used the Merlin spin machine, mats that spin or one with holes cut in them, so that some spin and some bounce. We do it from 22 yards, or from ten or 11 yards. He knows what he wants to work on and we’ve done that since he joined us in 2014 from Essex.”
“I said a while ago he’s the best in the world and, but for circumstances, he could be coming up to playing 50 or 60 Tests, but I get the need to balance the side and that’s why he’s not played (more). People should not underestimate his batting,” he added.
Foakes additionally contributed valiantly with the bat in each the matches thus far within the five-Test sequence. He scored 34 runs within the second innings in Hyderabad the place he ably supported Ollie Pope in a match-winning sixth-wicket stand of 112 runs the place the latter made an unbelievable 196. In the second Test, he put up a brave 36 within the last innings, albeit in a dropping trigger.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
