India Aim To Become The Best Fielding Unit
Fielding is an integral part of modern day cricket, especially in the shorter formats. Ahead of a clash versus one of the best fielding units in the world, Team India's goal is to become even better.
- NDTV
- Updated: September 30, 2015 09:33 PM IST
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Think super fielders in international cricket and you will think of the South Africans. From the legendary Jonty Rhodes to the gravity defying AB de Villiers and the incredibly flexible Faf du Plessis, the Proteas have always produced naturally talented and athletic fielders. (It's Virat Kohli vs Faf du Plessis; Ravichandran Ashwin vs Imran Tahir)
Team India's fielding standards though have also been steadily improving over the years, and ahead of the three T20 series vs the Proteas, the Indian camp is paying special attention to fielding, as they prepare to take on arguably the best fielding unit in the world.
Rohit Sharma told the media ahead of the first T20, "Fielding is something we are really focusing on and you might have seen the results in Sri Lanka. The way we fielded was brilliant. So, hopefully in coming years we will be the best fielding side." (No Liquor to be Served During Dharamsala T20)
That goal is sure to make every Indian cricket fan proud. After all, the team is still in a transition phase and with their new found aggression, the determination to become one of the best fielding sides in the world will only propel the team higher.
Fielding will play a crucial role in the high altitude ground in Dharamsala for the first T20. What will also be important will be the mindset of the Indian players as they get ready to start the marathon series with the shortest format of the game.
India did play a two-T20 series vs Zimbabwe in July this year, but that was a second string Indian team, with Ajinkya Rahane as captain. The last time a full strength India team played a T20 international was vs England last year, which India lost by 3 runs. (India vs South Africa: The Mind Games Begin)
When asked about that, Rohit Sharma admitted, "It's been more than a year now so it will be a challenge for us to regroup in this format. We know that the World Cup is just around the corner so we have to take the best out of all the T20 games we play from now on." (India Hold The Advantage Over Proteas in T20Is)
South Africa might not have won an ICC trophy in 17 years, but a tough yet productive series versus one of the best teams in the world will definitely go a long way in preparing the Indian team as they aim for their second World T20 title next year, especially as they seek redemption after falling at the final hurdle in the last edition in Bangladesh. (Proteas Ready to Unleash Pace Attack, Says Coach Russell Domingo)