The Indian fielding coach, Ramakrishnan Sridhar, is on a single-minded mission to develop the team’s skills and make them a specialised bunch.
Though very few youngsters take up contact sport in the country, the Mysuru-born Sridhar believes India’s fielding has moved to a higher level.
“We try and create specialised fielders in most of the specialised positions — which is close-in catching. But injury is part and parcel of the game. Keeping that in mind, what we try and do is try and make every player in the squad willing and ready to field in any position,” said the former Hyderabad left-arm spinner.
Sridhar believes the overall development can make a player a great fielder. “Whoever the fielder is, he should be a good outfielder and at the same time a good in-fielder. But close-in fielding requires some special qualities which are seen in certain people,” he mentioned.
During training sessions Sridhar simulates match situations to create a real-time environment. That would be the best situation, try and create a match situation in practice. Especially when you work with the angles, when you know certain fielders are going to field in certain areas. We try and create the same angles for them. You get out there in practice so that the match becomes a lot easier. The match should just be an extension of practice - that is the idea of a good practice session,” he stated.
The 45-year-old Sridhar credited the BCCI and the local associations in their attempt to provide lush green outfields throughout the country. And even more so at the junior level to help them budding cricketers to develop their fielding skills.
“The fields are absolutely lush, green, I think the BCCI has done a great job not only at the international level but also at the junior level you get some really good fields for young kids to dive around, slide and throw themselves around,” he stated.
The former National Cricket Academy coach urged that right attitude and aggressive fielding skills must be sharpened at the grass-root level. “Being in an country where you don’t play contact sports, the young cricketers come with such good diving abilities which they learn from what they do at the grass-root level,” he said.
