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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is of the opinion that the Men in Blue will need to improve their fielding ahead of their 2022 T20 World Cup campaign on Australian soil. Shastri, who left the Indian team after the 2021 T20 World Cup, said that India will need to raise their standard to match that of Australia, England, and Australia. As per Shastri, saving runs in the outfield will help India, and benefit the team as a whole, especially in the batting department.
"One area that India will have to pick up and start right from the beginning is fielding. They need to work hard and get their A-game on the field when they step out against Pakistan. Those 15-20 runs that you save can make all the difference because, otherwise, every time you get out to bat, you need to get 15-20 runs extra.
"For sides like Australia, England, and South Africa they field like crazy. Look at what Sri Lanka did in the Asia Cup with fielding. They won a tight game against Pakistan riding on fielding," Shastri was quoted as saying.
Shastri also heaped praise on India’s top-order batters. According to Shastri, the presence of power hitters like Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in the top and middle order has given the team some breathing space for the batters in the top order.
"I have been a part of the system for the last six-seven years, first as a coach, and now I am watching from the outside, and I think this is as good a line-up as India has ever had in T20 cricket. With Surya (Surya Kumar Yadav) at No 4, Hardik at No 5, and Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik at No 6, it makes a massive difference. It allows the top order to play the way they are playing," he added.
India is currently in Perth where they are playing two warm-up matches against Western Australia XI. Thereafter, they will lock horns with Australia and New Zealand in two more warm-up games before locking horns with Babar Azam's Pakistan.
