Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik praised Salman Ali Agha for his sharp reflexes, awareness, and technique after the Pakistan all-rounder produced an impressive diving catch at second slip during the second Test between Pakistan and England at Lord’s on Thursday.
Agha, regarded as one of the safest slip fielders in Pakistan’s men’s cricket team, pulled off a stunning catch in the 48th over of England’s innings at Lord’s, earning praise for his exceptional fielding skills.
The dismissal came on the first ball of the over when Khurram Shahzad bowled a length delivery just outside off stump. The ball moved away after pitching, prompting Cox to attempt a loose back-foot drive.
The right-handed batter edged the delivery toward the slip cordon, where Agha, positioned at second slip, dived sharply to his right and timed his leap perfectly to complete a sensational one-handed catch.
𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋
You won’t see many better catches than this
#ENGvPAK | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/F7hlRq37rG — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 27, 2026
During post-match analysis following the conclusion of day one, Karthik described the effort as the best catch of the series so far and highlighted the difficulty of reacting quickly in the slip cordon.
“I think it is definitely the catch of the series so far. I know it’s a small series but rather short series, but that was outstanding. That is good reflex. That is good awareness,” Karthik said.
Karthik also reflected on Agha’s unusual situation in the second Test at Lord’s after he captained Pakistan in the series opener at Headingley but was left out of the playing XI for the Lord’s match.
Agha had led Pakistan in place of Babar Azam in the opening Test but was replaced for the second match, making his involvement as a substitute fielder particularly notable.
The former batter acknowledged the mental adjustment required to go from captaining the team to watching from the dressing room before suddenly being called upon to field in the key position of second slip.
“You’ve got to understand he was probably just sitting and chilling in the dressing room till he walked in and they put him in the hot spot of second slip. I don’t know how he’s dealt with the fact that he’s not playing from being a captain all the way not to playing,” he stated.
The 41-year-old further praised Agha for his composure, awareness, and technique while completing the difficult diving catch.
He highlighted how the all-rounder maintained control of his arm and ensured the ball remained safely in his hand throughout the effort, describing it as a standout moment in Pakistan’s fielding display on the opening day.
“What I really liked about that catch is as he dived, he took the catch but the way he controlled his arm and made sure at no point did the ball be remotely close to the ground tells you the awareness as he was taking the catch and that was beautiful technique more than anything else and I think he’ll be very proud of that effort and you have to say that was Pakistan’s shining light in terms of catching on the field today,” Karthik concluded.
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