The catch which was taken by Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya in order to dismissed Martin Guptill in the first T20 of the 3-match series against New Zealand, in Delhi, was the sheer example of team India’s current fielding standards.
Talking about hat catch, fielding coach R Sridhar asserted: “As far as ground fielding is concerned we are the best in the world.” But he promptly points out that India still has lots of ground to cover before they become the world’s best.
But Sridhar is happy that the understandings about Indian fielding have changed. He said, “The IPL is a major contributor as fielding is given more importance. (Resultantly), not only have fitness levels vastly improved but also the awareness around it. Nowadays you can’t hide on the field. If you are playing a game of eight overs then even one small fumble can decide the match.”
However, slip-catching has been slightly erratic may be due to the lack of consistency in the slip cordon. Describing the same, the coach said, “If we have the same men consistently (without injuries) in the squad then we can always have a settled slip cordon. Going into the next series we will see who we have – Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vjiay, KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan. We will take a look and go according to what we have.”
Among the lot, Rahane is the slip catching specialist, especially against the spinners. Sridhar said, “Ajinkya comes to training with a plan and practises very specific drills – with the left/right hand and in terms of position and technique. I do add a little input. As a coach, my job is to give the players correct feedback and give them the option as to what they can work on and whatever suits them best they incorporate it into their game.”
Talking about eth technicalities of the fielding at slip or the close-in cordon, Sridhar said, “The lower the better. The lower you are the more chances of taking catches which are coming at the ankle-level or heels. It is easier coming up from a lower position rather than going down from a higher position. So I tell them to remain as low as possible when the batsmen are playing the ball.”
As for close-in fielders, apart from the usual qualities such as reflexes, anticipation and hand-eye coordination, Sridhar reckons that players should have a big heart. He said, “You need to have the intent to stand in front of the wicket. what we also work is on the angles depending on the nature of the wicket, body positioning and we also try to develop fielders who can stand in the same position for two or three sessions.”
In recent times, even Indian pacers like Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, etc have been electric in the outfield and have improved their fielding. Praising them Sridhar said, “Their fitness levels have gone up and the mindset has changed. On one hand, you have Umesh Yadav, who is an excellent fielder. The kind of improvement Jasprit Bumrah has made over the last 18 months is unbelievable. Mohammad Shami has the best arm in the country and covers ground well. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) is one of the fittest players around. Mohammad Siraj is a good athlete and has the potential to be a potent fielder. So we have a good crop of fast bowlers who are good fielders.”
The coach concluded by asserting their plans for the fielding side in the upcoming days, he said, “We are training and looking at all the aspects of fielding to make sure that we put the 11 best fielders in the park over the next one to one-and-a-half-years. It is an ongoing process and definitely, we have room for improvement in terms of our catching.”
