24:Picture Credit - Twitter
England wicket-keeper Ben Foakes has been excellent behind the stumps in the ongoing second Test against India. On a challenging turning wicket in Chennai, the 28-year-old has shown some exemplary glovework, with some excellent takes and breath-taking stumpings.
Foakes was also the only batter who looked comfortable against the Indian spinners during England’s horrific batting display in the first innings at Chepauk. While his gritty knock of 42* was also well worth of certain applause, it has instead been his wicket-keeping heroics that has become the talk of the town.
[caption id="attachment_713" align="aligncenter" width="592"]
Picture Credit: Twitter[/caption]
Foakes did not concede a single bye in the first innings while also completing two safe catches. He also pulled off a brilliant stumping off Moeen Ali to dismiss Axar Patel. Although the first-innings performance was praise-worthy, his glovework in the second innings left everyone in awe.
As the ball started to turn square on Day 3 in Chennai, Foakes grabbed everything that was missed by the Indian batsmen. He reacted quickly to run-out Cheteshwar Pujara, while he pulled off two excellent stumpings to send Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant back to the pavilion.
Here's How Twitter Reacted to Ben Foakes' Wicket-Keeping 'Masterclass'
Ben Foakes, who is playing his first Test in India, was drafted into the side in the second Test after Jos Buttler went back home to prepare for the limited-over series. While the overseas wicket-keepers have often been seen struggling behind the stumps on rank-turners in the sub-continent, Foakes has certainly stood out with his performance.
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer praised Foakes’ soft hands and clean collection, S. Badrinath hailed the strong fundamentals and excellent skills of the England wicket-keeper. Matt Prior termed Foakes’ performance as ‘absolute master-class’, Hemang Badani summarised his display as ‘simply brilliant’.