‘A 70…like these is worth a hundred’: Former Indian coach on Kohli’s Auckland innings

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma delivered remarkable fielding performances in India's five-wicket victory over New Zealand in Auckland. Coach Subhadeep Ghosh highlighted the common factor of anticipation in their outstanding efforts. Both veteran players had fielded in their respective positions numerous times, enabling them to read the game and predict the ball's path more accurately.

Rohit Sharma anticipated the ball's trajectory towards square leg during the run-out of Daryl Mitchell, moving slightly towards that direction before executing the skill with precision. Similarly, Virat Kohli, known for his fielding at cover and point, anticipated the edge heading to second slip and plucked it out of thin air. Ghosh emphasized that repetition in practice helps fielders develop anticipation, noting that the more time spent in a specific fielding position, the better one becomes at predicting the ball's movement.

Adapting to different conditions and ground dimensions is another challenge for Indian fielders on overseas tours, and the team discussed these aspects in the dressing room, focusing on positioning and the first movement towards the ball to minimize angles. Lighter balls have also been used in training to enhance fielders' judgement, stability, and movement towards the ball, considering smaller grounds with shorter reaction times.