Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri minced no words while analyzing India’s efforts on the field during the first T20I against Australia at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Tuesday, which the hosts lost by four wickets.
India posted a gargantuan score of 208 runs on the board but they could not defend it because of their poor bowling and fielding. Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Harshal Patel dropped one catch each and it led to the downfall of the team.
Axar Patel, who is a good fielder, gave a reprieve to Cameron Green when the right-hander was on 42 runs. Furthermore, KL Rahul dropped a simple catch of Steven Smith while Harshal Patel could not hang on to Matthew Wade’s return catch on his follow through. Wade went on to play a match-winning knock of 45 runs while Green scored 61 runs.
Shastri feels India is a bleak fielding side and this is what separates them from the Indian past teams, which won major trophies in 1983, 1985, 2007, 2011 and 2013. The renowned commentator believes the youth is missing from the current team.
“If you look at all the top Indian teams over the years, there is youth and experience. I find the youth missing here and hence the fielding. If you look at the last five-six years, fielding-wise, I think this side is no match to any of the top sides when it comes to fielding. And that can hit badly in big tournaments,” Shastri said on Star Sports during the match on commentary.
Shastri feels India needs to get 15-20 runs extra with the bat because of their beleaguered fielding and there is no X-factor on the field.
“It means that as a batting side you have to get that 15-20 runs game after game, because if you look around the field, where is brilliance? There is no Jadeja. Where is that X-factor?” Shastri further added.
The former all-rounder added that India will need to pull up their socks in the field if they are to beat the big teams in major tournaments.
“What I was disappointed today with was the standard of fielding. I mean, it looks sloppy and I think you need a big upping of the ante when it comes to the fielding if you have to beat big sides in big competitions,” he concluded his assessment.
India will take on Australia in the second T20I at Nagpur on Friday.
