He is being hailed as India's best slip fielder but I wouldn't go that far. I can think of two or three others who were just as safe or reliable but there is no denying that to a spinner he is brilliant. Sambit Bal got lucky and was able to celebrate this achievement when it happened.
Huw Richards of the New York Times put together an informative article while avoiding a lot of the hyperbolic comments that usually accompany world records. In fact, of all the articles that discuss this achievement, this one is the best I read for the even note it maintains. A lot like Dravid, dare I say?
That Dravid’s feat will occasion less excitement than Sachin Tendulkar’s achievement in becoming the highest-scoring test batsman says something about the status of fielding in relation to other cricketing skills. While it is one of the game’s oldest clichés that “catches win matches,” the fielding statistics that are recorded are extremely limited.
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