Here is a perfect example of how not to take a catch. And this is cricket at the highest level, where basic mistakes are costly beyond any repair.

The mistake here is that his hands are so wide apart, thus giving the chance for the cricket ball to sneak through like a sieve. This technique shown in the picture is fine for catching a football but nah, this is cricket that we are playing here. The hands should be cupped together with the sides of the palms meeting together. The advantage in using this technique is that the ball won’t seep through and there would still be a chance to take it on a rebound in case of failure to grip it with the fingers. Plus, the impact is on the widest and strongest part of your hand… your palm, thus improving your success percentage of catching and less injury risk to your fingers.

Am puzzled on how this can be happening at the highest levels of cricket and am seriously wondering on whether the Indian fielding coach is having any effect or not. It is also puzzling to see no third man being used in a test match where the run rate was at 4 plus an over. The gully by itself alone was neither saving the singles and pretty much allowed boundaries at ease. If Kumble has a problem here then Dhoni is just about the same, except it is for the leg side, where Dhoni likes keeping a backward short leg instead of a deep fine leg. The difference and result is the same… neither the singles are stopped, nor any catches, fours go through and the bowler cannot bowl a bouncer.