IND v AUS 2020: 'If the fielders are not supporting the bowler, the bowler is going to get hurt'- Harbhajan Singh on India's fielding effort
Team India suffered a 66-run defeat at the hands of a clinical Australian side in the first ODI of the three-match series yesterday. Former India cricketer and veteran off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, said that India played some good cricket in spells but the sloppy fielding and dropped catches affected the team.
“Things didn’t go India’s way. I would say India played some good cricket (in Sydney) but in patches. But, yeah, the fielding was a bit sloppy, lot of misfield, lot of missed catches,” Harbhajan said on India Today Live.
Harbhajan added that if the fielders do not support the bowling attack, the bowlers are going to get hurt. He also mentioned that at the international level you would ideally want to take all catches that come your way.
“In the international arena, you would want to take each (and every catch) that comes your way but unfortunately that didn’t happen today. If the fielders are not supporting the bowler, the bowler is going to get hurt. That’s what happened today,” Harbhajan added
'India could have looked to bowl a little fuller for an early breakthrough,' feels Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan felt all of the Indian bowlers, apart from Mohammad Shami, had an off day and that India had initially started off "a bit short".
“I think apart from (Mohammad) Shami everyone had an off day. This was the first game and playing in Australia you got to adjust to the bounce and the conditions. What all lengths you need to bowl. So the Indian bowling line, to start with, they bowled the initial overs a bit short with the new ball,”
He concluded by saying that India could have looked to bowl a little bit fuller in pursuit of that early breakthrough and that poor length was one of the reasons for Australia's massive total.
“Could’ve looked to bowl a little fuller for an early breakthrough, which didn’t happen, and that’s one of the reasons Australia got a lot of runs on the board which weakened India’s chances while chasing,”
India will be looking to shrug off the defeat quickly and level the series as they take the field for the second ODI tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground.