Rahane catch showcases a liftetime's work in milliseconds

Ajinkya Rahane is beside himself which is something of a collector's item. For the most part, he has resting bored face but here it was all lit up.

Rahane's place in the Indian team is under question. Nobody really knows why he's vice-captain. And the guy who got injured resulting in an open spot in the middle order has already started hitting balls in the nets.

The company line, at the World Test Championship final, when he made a comeback after a year out, was that it wasn't a one-off. And it wasn't. He's here in the West Indies, playing his third back-to-back Test when a lot of people thought his career was over.

He's got two low scores on this tour and if he gets to bat again in Port-of-Spain it's likely India will be in a declaration push. Hardly the kind of scenario that helps you find form.

But you know what Rahane does with his eyes closed? Catch blinders at slip.

On a day where scoring runs was a second thought - West Indies made 143 in 67 overs - and a pitch so slow it made time go backwards, Rahane produced the moment that made everybody sit up and shout.

India had to be both patient and inventive to get the four wickets they did. Rohit Sharma played with his field, arranging catchers in front of the stumps. Silly mid-offs. Silly mid-ons. Short square legs. All within 10-15 yards of the batter. He was asking his quicks to make him play - even encouraging them to stray onto the pads if need be - just so an errant flick or a drive that isn't kept all along the ground could be snapped up.

This kind of cricket is inevitable when the conditions offer nothing and the opposition is playing for a draw. It is hard to watch and can't be much fun to play either. But for it to succeed, everyone has to rise above the boredom. They need to stay alert for every single ball. All for at best a half chance.

Jermaine Blackwood offered it by trying to push at a ball from Ravindra Jadeja that had pitched outside leg stump. The edge came first like a red carpet being rolled out. The cameras were ready and waiting. All that was left was for the star to show, and boy, did he ever.

Rahane didn't have a lot of time to react. And even there, he had to account for a deflection.

So from the top, his body reacts to seeing the edge, then it has to react again to seeing the ball bounce off Ishan Kishan the wicketkeeper. Now, after processing all this, there's just the small matter of catching the damn thing.

It was flying away to his left. Part of the reason he caught up to it is because of his agility, which he says comes from doing karate when he was a kid. The other part is entirely down to technique honed over years and years.

Rahane does two very important things that help him reach the ball. One, he always stands in the slips with his weight on the balls of his feet. That way, he is more mobile, and he loses no time. The moment his brain reads the edge, he can propel himself towards whichever direction he needs to go. If you're on your heels, you lose time. Rahane is never on his heels.

This catch in particular, his right leg propels him to the ball, and his left hand intercepts its flight and cushions it. That's his other trademark. He never seems to snatch at the ball. His hands are always relaxed which generally helps when it comes to reflex catches; when it comes to them sticking as opposed to bouncing off.

Additionally, there's his positioning. Jadeja was pushing the ball across the right-hander from over the wicket. The angle is already taking the ball outside off, an edge would likely take it every further away, so he knew he had to be wider. And the wider you go, the more you need to turn towards the batter. That's why first slip stands almost parallel with the batting crease - he's waiting for the thin edge - but the rest of his companions - who are there for the thick edge - are always at an increasingly perpendicular angle. This is because you want to be on an intercept course with the ball.

Rahane also seems to live the ball along with the batter. At first, his hands are on his knees. Then, as Blackwood shapes to play a shot, he brings them up and cups them together. He's ready to receive the gift. He's pretty much expecting it.

And so after a lifetime's work played out in just milliseconds, West Indies were 178 for 4 and Rahane had catch number 102.