India still stuck in the ‘drop zone’ Resurgent Lanka aim to prolong Bangla misery
LOOSE END India, despite their great run in T20s, have been guilty of dropping catches regularly
catches in their last eight T20 games, four of them in the game against Bangladesh.
BUTTER-FINGERS, NO JUDGEMENT
In the very first over of the game against Mahmudullah’s side, Liton Das top-edged a slog and it sailed to fine leg. Three fielders converged on the ball, one running back from backward square leg, two others running from deep mid wicket and fine leg. However, no one called for it and the ball landed safely in between the fielders, indicating the failure to call and a lack of judgement.
In the third over, Tamim Iqbal danced down the track to spinner Washington Sundar, but skipper losing seven out of 12 Twenty20 Internationals, 23 out of 29 ODIs and seven out of 13 Tests.
Following yet another thrashing in the series in India in December 2017, Sri Lanka appointed Hathurusingha as the coach and the team experienced a revival, winning the triseries against Bangladesh and securing wins in the Test and Rohit Sharma failed to hold on to the catch at cover. In the seventh over, India’s fielding deteriorated. All-rounder Vijay Shankar was the unlucky bowler as he had two catches dropped in the same over, including one by Suresh Raina, one of India’s best fielders, at mid-off and by Sundar at fine leg. Shankar himself failed to latch on to a difficult catch off Twenty20 series.
In the opening game against India, Sri Lanka conceded 174 runs but managed to secure a five-wicket win thanks to Kusal Perera’s 66 off 37 balls and broke their seven-game losing streak. Ahead of the clash against Bangladesh, Ratnayake said the bowling was an area of focus for the team. Sabbir Rahman in the 15th over.
One dropped catch on average in the last eight games, yet India have won six of them. The side has been incredibly lucky that South Africa and Sri Lanka have not made them pay for the lapses. If India are to become a thorough unit, then the hours and hours of catching drills that take place before the game must be utilised on the field.
YOUNGSTERS SPILL CHANCES
What might make India ponder is that youngsters in the side, considered the most athletic and agile of the lot have dropped catches. In the series against South Africa, Shardul Thakur, the 26-year-old Mumbai bowler, dropped Heinrich Klassen in the Cape Town T20I. In the first match of the Nidahas Trophy, 20-year-old Rishabh Pant spilled a tough chance off Upul Tharanga as India lost the opportunity to build pressure following Kusal Perera’s blitz, going on to lose the game.
“As cricketers, we know it is not easy to field under lights and with the white ball.” This was Vijay Shankar’s assessment of the dropped catches against Bangladesh. However, a time might come when the opposition can make India pay for their sloppy fielding. This tournament gives India the opportunity to tie up this loose end.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are experiencing contrasting fortunes. Dinesh Chandimal’s side recently beat Bangladesh in the tri-series, Tests and Twenty20s away, and halted a seven-game losing streak against India by winning the first match of the Nidahas Trophy 2018 T20 tri-series.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, have lost 10 out of 11 T20I games and looked lacklustre in their loss against India on Thursday. With injuries to key players, including all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, before the start of the tournament, Mahmudullah’s side face an uphill task as they look to snap their losing streak as they take on the hosts on Saturday.
Sri Lanka’s five-wicket win over India in the opening game of the Nidahas Trophy had glimpses of their old-style aggression, led by Kusal Perera’s 37-ball 66. Although the rest of the batting slipped up, Perera’s knock had done enough to ensure the win.
Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake said the team had to adjust smartly if they are to sustain the winning momentum. “It’s about playing smart -- according to the situation -- if there needs to be change in the strike and going to the other side that’s what we have to do,” Ratnayake said.
In addition to that, Sri Lanka would be hoping there is more contribution from the bowlers as well as the batsmen. Dushmantha Chameera impressed but was taken apart in the death overs while the rest of the bowlers failed to contain the runs.
In the game against India, the Bangladesh innings had plenty of dot balls and their inability to rotate strike in the middle overs was a huge factor in their loss. Among their batsmen, Soumya Sarkar’s career strike rate of 128 is the highest while the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have a strike-rate in the 116 to 120
range.
THE SIDE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT SOUTH AFRICA AND SRI LANKA HAVE NOT MADE THEM PAY FOR THEIR FIELDING LAPSES COLOMBO: