"For last 35 years, I’ve been hearing this fitness and fielding is a work in progress" - Anjum Chopra on India's inert display at 2024 Women's T20 WC
Former India women's cricketer Anjum Chopra was far from impressed with the Women in Blue's displays as a fielding unit in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Harmanpreet Kaur and co. failed to qualify for the semi-finals after defeats to New Zealand and Australia, where shambolic fielding played a huge hand.
While the overall standard of fielding and catching during the tournament was well below par, the Indian players played a huge hand in lowering it. In their campaign opener against New Zealand, Richa Ghosh had dropped a sitter while Renuka Singh Thakur was also responsible for a couple of misfields.
While the team were electric in the field during the record win over Sri Lanka, they slumped back in the must-win clash against Australia. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had dropped two catches to allow them to cross the 150-run mark. It proved to be a massive difference as India fell short by nine runs.
Anjum Chopra highlighted mediocre fielding being a common sight throughout the years, despite talks of efforts being made to improve that area of the game.
“For last 35 years, I’ve been hearing this fitness and fielding (is a work in progress). If you’ve not improved this as of now, then I don’t know who needs to be questioned and how we need to address this because when I came into this Indian setup, when we were obviously not under the BCCI, we used to say, ‘Oh, we’ve got limited facilities and we are still improving our fitness and fielding’. Again, we are hearing that we are having a fitness and fielding camp (before World Cup)," Chopra told IANS.
There are a couple of promising fielders in the side, including Radha Yadav and Jemimah Rodrigues, among others, but there is a massive gap between them and the rest of the players.
"Isn’t it a given that you have to be a good fielder?" - Anjum Chopra expects higher level of fielding and fitness at the highest level
Team India have several issues to address after a forgettable World Cup campaign, with sloppy fielding undeniably being one of the aspects on the agenda. India are still behind the heavyweights when it comes to overall prowess, but when only fielding is concerned, the gap is even wider.
The Women in Blue did boast a good catching percentage in the tournament, but that hardly paints the entire picture.
“Aren’t they supposed to be in a given scenario that once you’ve an elite sportsperson, you’re supposed to be working on your fitness? Isn’t it a given that you have to be a good fielder? Isn’t it a given that you have to pass those fitness tests? If we have to still focus on it, I understand you can focus on it, batting, bowling, fielding, everything, and all-around development," Anjum Chopra said (as per the aforementioned source).
“But if I’m hearing the same lines, which probably when I was a youngster coming into the team till the time I played and still I’m hearing those same lines, which definitely goes on to show that, you don’t come into an Indian setup and become a fit cricketer,” Chopra added.
There is considerable pressure on fielding coach Munish Bali, as the BCCI may consider ending the contracts of a few support staff members after the debacle.