IND vs NZ: India fielding coach Ghosh reveals secret behind Rohit and Kohli's brilliant fielding in 1st ODI

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have been under the spotlight for their age leading to the ODI World Cup 2027, showed their agility in the field during the first of five ODIs against New Zealand. Rohit effected a run-out, which skipper Shubman Gill said was the turning point, while Kohli took a sharp catch in the slips. Both the players showed with their brilliant fielding that they are still fit to play at the highest level, but India fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh says there's a common denominator: anticipation.

India fielding coach on Rohit-Kohli's brilliant fielding in 1st ODI vs NZ

"I think anticipation is extremely important,” Ghosh said on the eve of the second ODI in Wellington. "The more time you spend in a particular fielding position, the better you become at reading the game. Virat has fielded at cover and point countless times, so he knows the trajectory and path of the ball, as well as how it is likely to travel after impact. He reads the situation slightly earlier than others, and you can see that in his execution."

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"As far as Rohit is concerned, I think he anticipated that the ball would go towards square leg during that run-out. He wasn’t moving straight; he was already shifting slightly towards square leg. That early anticipation allowed him to execute the skill perfectly. The more familiar you become with a particular position, the quicker you are able to anticipate what is going to happen. That’s what makes the difference," he added.

How Rohit and Kohli turned the game in India's favor with fielding?

First, it was Rohit, who moved in a flash when Glenn Phillips tucked a ball onto the leg side and found a scampering Daryl Mitchell short as KL Rahul collected a clean throw and rattled the stumps. Kohli then came into focus with a stunning one-handed catch at second slip off Anshul Kamboj to dismiss Nathan Smith.

Later on, Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls to help India chase a rain-revised 143-run target after Rohit was dismissed for a duck off six balls.