‘Spilling catches can be soul-destroying’

NOTTINGHAM: England assistant coach Paul Farbrace criticised the team’s sloppy slip catching which resurfaced again in the Trent Bridge Test on Monday as India pushed for victory to narrow the hosts’ series lead to 1-2.

England’s victory in the first two Tests were blighted by many dropped catches, none more glaring than Dawid Malan dropping India skipper Virat Kohli on 21 against James Anderson in the Edgbaston Test. He went on to score 149.

Though England won, the pace spearhead was left holding his head in dismay after Keaton Jennings let a nick from Kohli again through his hands. On 93 then, he hit 103 to put the visitors in a perfect position to clinch victory.

Anderson was also left fuming after Cheteshwar Pujara, on 40, was dropped by Jos Buttler at second slip. Pujara made 72 in a 113run stand with Kohli.

“We’ve got some good catchers, but you can’t keep shelling chances the way we are. That comes down to two things; concentration not being good enough, or confidence, when you start to miss chances that starts to eat away at you,” Farbrace said.

“Our bowlers stuck at the job really well. 70 runs scored in the first session, and we keep plugging away. When bowlers are creating opportunities and catches are being dropped, that can be soul-destroying.”

Kohli’s masterclass in the ongoing series has left Farbrace gushing, and urging his batsmen to learn from how the world’s best batsman has dominated quality bowling in seaming conditions.

Asked if the Trent Bridge knock made Kohli the best batsman in the world, Farbrace said: “You would be hard-pressed to argue against him being seen as the best player in the world. The way that he has developed, played through this series; he has played fantastically.”