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You can hone a batter out of a wicketkeeper, but the opposite is almost impossible to achieve without making a few concessions. In India however — where the bounce is variable and the degree of turn can range from slow and minimal to sharp and quick — standing up to the stumps becomes a different ball game. It demands a longer concentration span and split-second reactive ability while squatting over 500 times a day, staying aware of the close-in fielders and the entire trajectory of the ball even if it doesn’t hit the gloves, in case a leg-before appeal needs to be reviewed.
Now, consider doing all this against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, currently the best spinner duo in the world, on Indian pitches. “It’s a tough job,” says Wriddhiman Saha, who has been there and done that in a career spanning 40 Tests, 31 of which came in the subcontinent. “Because bowlers will always want to have someone behind the stumps who can convert even a 50-50 chance into a solid catch. There are edges and catches, so many permutations and combinations when you are keeping wicket in India.”
By declaring on Tuesday that either KS Bharat or Dhruv Jurel, and not KL Rahul, will keep wicket against England, head coach Rahul Dravid stuck to the rulebook that in India nothing less than a specialist will work. So, what are the fundamentals of keeping wicket in India? Saha gives a technical lowdown, with former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta providing added perspective.
Be relaxed and focused
“The more relaxed your body is, the softer are your hands, hence better reaction time,” says Saha. “Along with that, the ability to read how much the ball can turn after pitching also matters.”
“There’s a lot more spin involved in India so don’t premeditate too much,” Dasgupta cautions. “You have to simplify it in your head.”
Anchor the left foot
“If it’s a right-handed batter to a left-arm spinner (like Jadeja), maximum balls might go down the leg if it’s a flat wicket,” says Saha. “Otherwise, it will turn from off or middle stump. Then the left leg must not come too inside (the line of the ball). Because if you do that, then the position of the head and gloves also comes inside and you might miss those sharp outside edges.”
Since it facilitates positioning of the gloves, anchoring of the left foot becomes vital. “The idea is to catch beside the body, not in front of it,” says Dasgupta. “It’s important to open up the body to adjust to variable bounce and turn so that you don’t have your hands locked in front of your body. That’s where your left-foot anchor is important, so your right foot moves and you can open up your body.”
Stay alive to Ashwin’s range
Ashwin or Jadeja, who is more difficult? “Ashwin, any day,” says Saha. “Be it variation or the ability to read batters, Ashwin is way ahead. Point out a spot and Jadeja will keep hitting it throughout the day, but he doesn’t have a lot of pace variation. But Ashwin’s pace variation, release point and use of the crease is more advanced.” Since the pitch plays a massive factor, Saha advocates assessing it as early as possible to read a spinner better. “If India batted first, I used my innings to understand the pitch (from the wicketkeeper’s perspective). Otherwise, it took me two-three overs to assess while bowling. It’s important to understand quickly how much the ball turns and from where. You can either do it by following the finger and ball rotation or where it pitches.”
Size up the gaps
Fast bowlers will have a limited but crucial role in this series. Which is why proper judgement of the distance behind the stumps becomes important. “The slip cordon moves with the ‘keeper. If the ball still drops in front of you then bad luck, but you have to keep that distance to ensure proper reaction time.”
Another factor to remember here is the gap with the first slip. “I used to keep the first slip a couple of feet wider than usual to avoid doubt. So, if the ball’s flying that way, first slip will know I will go for that catch,” says Saha. Dasgupta bats for an alternate approach. “You can come forward (when the pitch has variable bounce) and let the first slip be close to you (but further back) so the faint edges will carry to you but the healthier edges, even if you can’t react, can be attempted by the first slip,” he says. “At the end of the day, you have got to be more open about these things.”
Wicketkeeping in India is largely instinctive but there is also a science involved, backed by historical data, in the preparation for every Test. Saha, for example, used to set his fielding drills according to the type of the pitch in play. “Like in Hyderabad, at least till the time I played, it didn’t turn much at the beginning. Even if it does, it’s slow turn that increases with time. Vizag is similar. It’s not a rank turner from the start. However, it’s different if the bowler is talented enough to make the ball turn. Ranchi is like Hyderabad but with less bounce.”
But Rajkot, Saha feels, can be interesting. “Everyone thinks it’s a batting wicket. But sometimes they make it dry and leave some grass on it. So, if you look at it you will think the ball will zip through, but actually it will turn.”
Irrespective of the pitches on offer, England are expected to play an aggressive brand of cricket. Dasgupta believes that will keep wicketkeepers interested throughout the series. But there will be a lot of multitasking. “There will be opportunities, so the wicketkeepers have to be aware and tell the slip, silly point, short leg, or the leg slip where to stand. The role is rather complex with DRS and everything.”
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