"This is being lazy"- Mohammad Kaif slams India's slip fielding during WTC final
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif was one of the finest fielders that the country produced because of his agility and also his ability to judge the conditions quickly as a fielder.
Team India did get a few chances in the slip cordon during the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The one massive chance they missed was when Alex Carey edged one but it flew between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara for a boundary.
Mohammad Kaif was disappointed to see neither fielder go for the catch. He also questioned Cheteshwar Pujara for standing in the first slip with his shin pads on. Here's what Kaif was quoted as saying by The Indian Express:
"These things must be sorted out before you take the field. You can’t miss these chances. This is being lazy. In these moments, the fielder probably thinks there won’t be catches coming to slips, and there might be a declaration on the cards. But it was a vital stage of the game when India couldn’t afford lapses. Shin pads make your movement slow, and you can’t bend properly. I don’t believe it doesn’t affect you."
Mohammad Kaif on importance of 'converting half-chances'
Mohammad Kaif also shed light on some chances that came India's way in the slips during Day 1 of the WTC final. Although these catches fell short of the fielders, Kaif feels experience players like Virat Kohli needed to guage the situation better and stand nearer to the batter accordingly.
On this, he stated:
“Converting half-chances can win you matches. Take a look at the half-chance that Steve Smith had offered in the first innings when the ball fell short of Kohli at slip. Australia were at 190, and if Smith had fallen then, who knows what might have happened. In England and Australia where there is bounce on offer, slips stand almost 25 yards behind the stumps. So, someone like Kohli must know where he needs to stand so that he takes these chances. These are ways in which you can win games for your team.”
India lost the WTC final by a massive margin of 209 runs after their batting failed to withstand the pressure put by Australia's top quality bowling attack.