Published 20:50 IST, December 9th 2020
Mohammad Kaif shares what can dent India's chances in ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Mohammad Kaif was critical of India's poor fielding in the 3rd T20I against Australia and said that it will dent their chances in ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels Team India's poor fielding standards can dent their chances of winning next year's T20 World Cup that they will be hosting in October-November 2021.
Australia had posted a challenging total of 186/5 from their 20 overs after being asked to bat first riding on sloppy fielding and dropped catches from the visitors. Even Indian skipper Virat Kohli himself had dropped a sitter as well.
'So many dropped catches': Mohammad Kaif
"So many dropped catches and misfields cannot be part of the game. They are doing it too much. If India has to win the World Cup, which is going to happen in October in India, then if the fielding is like this, then you will lose the big matches," Kaif said on Sony's post-match show.
Kaif, who himself was an athletic fielder then went on to say that the fielders had to toil for extra hours if they misfielded during a match (during his playing days). Furthermore, the cricketer-turned-commentator/analyst also mentioned that the young bowlers of this Indian team reckon that dropping a catch is a part of the game as a result of which they do not say anything and go back to the run-up.
"This Indian team has young bowlers, so when the catch is dropped the poor guys go back to the run-up. The bowler does not say anything but thinks it is part of the game. But it is not. If we had dropped a catch of Ajit Agarkar, Srinath, or Zaheer Khan's bowling, then even if they stare at the fielder, then you need to practice for extra two hours the next day," the former Indian middle-order batsman added.
In the end, the dropped catches, as well as the fielding lapses, did prove to be costly for Team India as they lost the contest by 12 runs. The Men In Blue were restricted 174/7 despite captain Virat Kohli's valiant 85 as the middle & the lower order could hardly show any resistance.
The Aussies managed to salvage pride as Kohli & Co. won the three-match series 2-1.
(With ANI inputs)
Updated 20:50 IST, December 9th 2020