Indian fielding: The great line of defence

The current Indian side comprising of Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Seeing cricket from a technical point of view, fielding remains the crucial difference between a normal team and an extraordinary team.

All the teams are capable of scoring big runs with the bat and picking up wickets with the ball. But when it comes to fielding, only few teams are considered as heavyweights. Fielding is arguably the most important aspect of the game. Fielding is an art that comes naturally to a fielder.

Over the years, teams like South Africa and Australia have managed to produce some amazing talents in the field. For Indians, it is a rarity.

In the past, fielding was not considered Indians’ cup of tea. Though India didn’t produce any quality fielders along the lines of Jonty Rhodes and Ricky Ponting, they have managed to produce quite a few fielders who could turn the game on its head with their agility on the park.

It all began in the Patudi era where Mansoor Ali Khan Patudi and Eknath Solkar set themselves as the role models in fielding for the future generation.

Solkar, who passed away in 2005, is considered as the greatest fielder India has ever produced. He was renowned for his outstanding close catching as he made the short leg and silly point positions his own.

On the other hand, Nawab Patudi was the first man who showed the importance of fielding to the Indians. He was also given the nickname “Tiger” because of his heroics in the field.

After their time in the top flight of cricket, it was Mohammad Azharuddin who carried the Indian fielding on his shoulders. He was a brilliant slip fielder who was also brilliant in slips. He was well known for his anticipation in the field and had effected many run outs with his back flip throws.

One of India’s most acrobatic fielders – Mohammed Kaif

When the Indian fielding deteriorated in the late 1990s, Robin Singh arrived to the scene. Considered as an all rounder, he was believed to have made it to the Indian side for his fielding skills.

He was an acrobatic fielder who threw strong and accurate throws from the outfield. He along with tainted Ajay Jadeja formed a formidable partnership in the offside field especially in the backward point region.