From the iSport IPL Paddock, iSporter Issac John completes the last and final part of his Trilogy with the 'Best of Fielding'. Read on to know his picks!
The instant of a catch or a run-out is so spontaneous and short lived that a list like this will hardly suffice to document the best moments as far as fielding efforts go over the 118 IPL games that have gone by. By that yardstick, a best of bowling or batting compendium is easier to compile. Theoretically, that means we would span 236 innings! Even in office conversations a sparkling batting cameo or a brilliant bowling spell attracts greater talk time than a superlative catch. Nevertheless, with that disclaimer – here’s a compilation what to my mind have been the best fielding efforts in IPL thus far.
Harmeet Singh V RCB, Johannesburg (2009 Finals): The match had already seen too many twists and turns and at the end of the 18th over RCB were still looking reasonably placed to win the match with 27 required off 12 balls. Ryan Harris’ first five balls went for 12 runs and off the sixth ball, the ball flew towards fine-leg and just when it seemed the ball would fall short of Harmeet Sethi, he scooped his hands under the ball with a full-frontal dive to come up with a stunner. In a nerve-wracking moment, the catch of IPL Season –II had just announced itself.
Shane Warne run-out V KKR, Cape Town (2009): This man could do no wrong in Season I. In Season II, he tried his best to do no wrong. In a tense match, KKR needed two runs off the last ball to win the match with scores tied. Ishant Sharma drove to the best of his ability and Warne at short-extra cover flung himself to the left and stopped the ball! Kamran Khan quickly throws the ball to the keeper who prevents a second run and the match goes to Super Over. Royal win it eventually but if not for Warne’s quick reflex dive, this was a goner for Royals.
Brendon McCullum V RCB, Centurion (2009): A full-blooded drive from Kallis’ blade found the razor sharp McCullum at cover – his body parallel to the ground. He caught this when the ball was already past him - one of McCullum’s rare moments of joy in this season.
Dale Steyn V DC, Bangalore (2008): The context is that DC needed 29 runs from 18 balls with 7 wickets in hand to win this game. With Shahid Afridi at the crease, it could all finish in one good over. Afridi wasn’t thinking any different and went for a slog off the first ball of the 18th over. Steyn runs from long-on and times a perfect dive to catch the balls inches off the ground. RCB have their man and the match.
Yuvraj Singh V MI, Mohali (2008): This one was eerily similar to a Shane Thompson catch I had seen in the 1996 World Cup. A full-stretch dive off a Pollock drive, his body stretched back with both feet off the ground like an elastic band, this was the catching equivalent of the discovery of nuclear bomb.
Graeme Smith V KKR, Jaipur (2008): This is actually not a catch that you would see in scorecard because the third umpire eventually overruled it but not mentioning it in this list would’ve been plain injustice. This is the catch that sparked off what probably was the first controversy related to IPL. Ganguly stood his ground after the catch and got a reprieve thanks to the third umpire. But the sight of Graeme Smith running all the way from deep-midwicket to cup his hands under the ball with a forward dive is the stuff dreams are made of. Ganguly got a reprieve from this but got out the very next over.
Herschelle Gibbs V CSK, Chennai (2008): This short pitched delivery from Afridi never deserved a wicket and the weak cut shot that Badrinath attempted was flying past Gibbs when he came up with a superhuman effort to pluck it out of thin air. Full-length, smooth and handsome and with the special Gibbs’ look of: “ Ah, was it special, I don’t think so…”
Yuvraj Singh run-out V MI, Mumbai (2008): If ever there was crunch game in Season I, this was it. After a sluggish start, MI had stunned everyone with a six-match winning streak and looked in place to make a dash to the semis towards the closing stages of the league matches. On the contrary, KEP after a great start were looking a little dodgy. Team 2 versus Team 4 and the winning team would’ve almost sealed their spot to the semis. Punjab posted a very healthy 188. MI were comfortably placed to win it from 34 off 24 balls with 7 wickets in hand and then began a collapse, ultimately boiling down to 2 runs needed off the last ball to win the game. The last ball is driven to mid-off and the batsmen set off. For a second, Yuvraj hesitated and then decided to fling himself towards the stumps.
MI never made the semis, KEP did.
To read Issac John's Trilogy of IPL's Best - Edition II: Batting - click here
To read Issac John's Trilogy of IPL's Best - Edition I: Bowling - click here
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