Virat Kohli in action during 1st ODI vs NZ at Eden Park. (CREIMAS)

Rohit Sharma was already moving towards square leg before the ball got there. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, seemed to know where the edge was heading before plucking it out of thin air at second slip. Two moments of brilliance from India’s veterans in their five-wicket win over New Zealand in Auckland had a common thread, according to fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh: anticipation.

Ghosh attributed the two efforts to the anticipation that comes from repeatedly fielding in the same positions and becoming familiar with the likely trajectory of the ball.

“I think anticipation is extremely important,” Ghosh said ahead 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.…