"Ben Foakes is the best wicketkeeper in the world right now"- Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has termed Ben Foakes the best wicketkeeper in the world at the moment.

Despite England losing the second Test against India in Chennai by 317 runs, Ben Foakes impressed with his glovework on a raging turner.

The 28-year-old did not concede a bye in the Indian first innings despite the ball turning and bouncing viciously on the first day of the Test. Ben Foakes also effected two brilliant stumpings on Day 3, dismissing first-innings centurion Rohit Sharma and the dangerous Rishabh Pant.

Happy birthday, Ben Foakes! 🥳He's marked it with a seriously impressive performance behind the stumps 👏Scorecard: https://t.co/uOUOSOr4zc#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/ThnE0QORGk

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 15, 2021

Nasser Hussain lavished massive praise on the Surrey player, writing in this regard in his column for the Daily Mail:

"This is the most difficult of surfaces to keep on with its turn and bounce. Foakes hadn’t played for a long time, but his performance proved he is the best wicketkeeper in the world right now. It was not just the two stumpings that highlighted how unbelievably fast his hands are; a lot of his best work went unnoticed."

Hussain continued:

"Some of his takes down the leg side, when the ball was spinning, and he would have been completely blindsided by the batsmen, were incredible, and I swear Joe Root reviewed a one-handed grab simply because of how outrageously good it was — as if the team were keen to see the replay on the big screen".

NSFW highlights of Ben Foakes's glovework this morning (via @introvert_49) 🧤pic.twitter.com/zbO48rek8P #IndvEng

— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) February 15, 2021

Ben Foakes played the second Test against India only because England decided to rest Jos Buttler for the rest of the series with an eye on their hectic schedule ahead.

Has Ben Foakes usurped Jos Butler to become England's first-choice wicketkeeper?

Ben Foakes (left) & Jos Buttler (right)

Given the modern-day demands of the game, most teams often prefer to go with the wicketkeeper who is the better batsman.

Ben Foakes, who scored a century against Sri Lanka on his Test debut, has proven his worth with the bat during his short six-Test career. The batsman compiled a well crafted 42* in the first innings of the second Test against India despite the ball turning and jumping from a good length.

Foakes' career average, without considering the ongoing Test match, is a decent 41.50. But given Jos Buttler's exploits in white-ball cricket and the fear factor he can instil in the opposition with the bat in hand, Foakes is likely to play second-fiddle in the longest format of the game for a while.