Two days into their long Australian tour and Team India have already been on the field for 120 overs. There has been a lot of leather chasing, thanks to Australia’s three centurions so far and a lot of frustrations with rain dictating terms on the second day.
The tiredness and frustration began to show when on the rain-marred day-two there were as many as four slip-ups in the field – three missed catches and a fluffed stumping chance.
At the end of the day when the opposition had put 517 runs on board for seven wickets, India’s fielding coach, R Sridhar, said he was satisfied with the boys’ overall effort on the field.
“I thought that for the major part of the innings our fielding was really good. Especially in the ground fielding all the boys chipped in well given that it was a long innings. Yes, there were a few drops but the conditions were tough and we had to go on and off due to rain.
“Nobody is happy when they put down a catch. Everybody is disappointed. But the point is that we give our best effort and the players are working really hard and trying to do their best every time they go out on the field. You catch some, you drop some. But as long as the effort is there, I am sure we are going to have more good days than bad ones,” Sridhar said.
One aspect of India’s fielding that has attracted stern criticism since the poor run in England is the slip catching. A number of catches were put down, that eventually cost the team dearly. Sridhar said that they have zeroed in on their slip cordon and expected the chosen fielders to get better with time.
“Vijay and Shikhar are very good slip fielders, Virat does a good job at third slip and Ajinkya is very good in the gully. This is more or less our settled cordon,” the fielding coach said. “Like the batting order, the slip cordon is also going through a transition. Slip catching is not only about reaction but also about perception. The more they stand there, the better they will get. They are doing a good job, especially Shikhar is brilliant.”
Sridhar also spoke about the kind of work he is putting in with the players to improve them as fielders.
“I am sure the previous fielding coach did his best to prepare the players and I am doing the same. We are trying to get the players to be the best of what they can be. We are identifying each player’s strengths and weaknesses, which position is suitable for them and giving them the required fitness and fielding drills. You don’t expect Puji (Cheteshwar Pujara) to field like Jonty Rhodes but you want him to be the best that he can be.
That is what we are working at and I am sure the players are getting better.”
He said that having worked with most of the boys at the National Cricket Academy gives him an advantage when it comes to understanding them and getting the best out of them.
“That’s one of the reasons I am here, because I, along with Bharat Arun, have seen these guys from a young age at the NCA and we share a good rapport with them,” he said. “They know what to expect from us and we too know what these guys are capable of. It makes our job really easy and helps us to coach the person rather than coach the game. Once you know the person, it is easier to coach the game.”
Speaking of the current scenario of the Test, Sridhar said the Indian haven’t lost heart yet and are confident of fighting their way back into the game.
“There was a positive chat from the skipper after the day’s play. We are here to play good cricket and we back each other all the time. Our batsmen are confident that they will make up for the bowling effort and make a good match out of this.”
