Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh is widely regarded as one of the top slip fielders in contemporary cricket. Waugh played a significant part in Australia’s success in the 1990s, and his fielding was a key strength for the team. Indian cricket team’s fielding coach, T Dilip, drew a comparison between KL Rahul and Waugh while reviewing Rahul’s catch during the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chennai. Although Rahul didn’t score many runs, he made a crucial catch at second slip to dismiss the dangerous Mushfiqur Rahim.
Dilip noted that Rahul’s catch demonstrated excellent technique and even likened it to the style employed by Waugh during his career.
“The best thing about this catch was that KL was using his hands to follow the ball. He had nice, soft hands to catch it, but by the time he caught it, you could see he was actually finishing the catch behind his body. If you keep the right position, either by opening your hips or slightly turning your toe, it helps you follow the ball even if it’s a bit behind you. That’s the technique great player Mark Waugh used to do. Even when the ball goes behind the body, if you open your hip, it’s like opening a small door, allowing you to continue following the ball. And that was a great example,” Dilip said in a video shared by the BCCI.
“He was excellent in the slip cordon and also at mid-on. He demonstrated great composure when he went for that catch because the ball was dropping right in front of him. He had the awareness to position his fingers under the ball and timed his jump perfectly. Given his height, it was a fantastic catch to watch,” the Indian cricket team’s fielding coach said.
