Hyderabad: Former India Fielding Coach R Sridhar has admitted that the Indian cricket team is facing issues related to catching efficiency. He said that India are not in the best of form as a fielding unit, but backed them, saying they will come up with strategies and plans to resolve that issue.
“It's sure as hell a reason for concern when you're dropping so many catches, and I'm sure the team management and the team themselves are more keen on working on it than you and me talking about it,” he said during a virtual interaction with the media.
“So, I'm sure they'll come up with strategies, plans and practices to improve that catching efficiency. So let's back them. Let's see how they're going to adapt in the remaining matches,” Sridhar told ETV Bharat during a virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Monday.
Sridhar also said that the team is missing a fielding culture.
“I think fielding has now definitely taken a backseat in terms of application and in terms of building a certain culture. As we can see, there is a clear culture with the batting, the way the Indian team is batting. Similarly, there's a clear culture in the way the Indian team is using fast bowlers, especially in the ODIs, where Shubman Gill likes to hit the deck,” he said.
“But whereas in fielding, that seems to be absent, and what is really worrying is the fact that the new kids who are coming into the squad are undercooked in their fielding ability. Some are fast bowlers, some are batters, but whoever is coming in, they don't seem to be the kind of fielder a Kohli is, or even a Surya or Shreyas is, the generation of that block, I'm saying, because they seem to have been brought up on only one skill, that is batting.”
India to head for New Zealand
India will play in the multi-format series starting from October 22 and will conclude on November 27. The series will feature five T20Is, five ODIs and two Test matches. The team is currently playing a T20I series against the West Indies.