Nepal fans outnumber Indians
Somehow the headline doesn’t seem right. After all, India is a cricket-crazy country. But just a simple glance outside the Pallekele Stadium, it was crystal clear that Nepal had a massive advantage: Perhaps it was 9:1 in their favour. The fans waved their crimson shaped flags, and shouted “Nepal, Nepal, Nepal”. A few were singing the National Anthem, “Sayaun Thunga Phulka.” While some others were ready to speak to the media, boldly talking up their team’s chances.
When the match resumed, just like their passionate fans, it was the Nepal team that seemed to be the more energized side of the two. Meanwhile, the Indian unit looked flat and dispirited. In the very first over bowled by Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer dropped a tricky chance. Soon it was time for Virat Kohli to grass a sitter at cover point.
In what seemed like a believe-it-or-not moment, India fluffed their third chance in just the sixth over, when Ishan Kishan dropped a straightforward chance. By then, Kushal Bhurtel and Asif Sheikh, the openers, had got reprieves. Not just fluffed chances, India were let down by misfields and an overthrow or two as well.
After every mistake, Rohit Sharma, the India skipper, was seen giving piercing glares, along with muttering a few words. In the 38th over, Sompal Kami, the Nepal all-rounder, cracked a shot through the third man region, where Shardul Thakur let one go through, resulting in a boundary. Not surprisingly, Rohit again looked miffed. When play was soon stopped because of rain, Rohit waited for a few minutes for Shardul to cross him. His expressions said it all.
For a moment, you might wonder whether India’s lacklustre show in the field was because they were expected to defeat Nepal. So, the intensity levels were down. However, if we try to excavate more evidence, India has a bigger problem. The stats indicate India have a catch efficiency of just over 75 per cent in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. Among the established nations, only Afghanistan is behind India, with a catch efficiency of 71.2 per cent. India’s benevolence in the field extends to T20Is as well.
Last year, during a commentary stint, Ravi Shastri, the former India coach, had shared his views on India’s fielding. “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. 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?”
On a day where one witnessed lukewarm response from Indian fans, the national side put on an indifferent performance on the field. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to transform India’s fielding in a matter of a few games and that remains a worry going into the World Cup.