‘India in different league after Australian series’

Fielding coach Sridhar says Shastri has turned the fortunes of the team with clear thoughts and instructions

Hyderabad: The last two series — against Australia (in Australia) and England (at home) — have been remarkable. Recovering from first Test losses, Team India scripted a historic series win. The Indian team will now be embarking on a challenging tour of England amid the despair and uncertainty over the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Ramakrishnan Sridhar, the fielding coach and one of the key members of the support staff, feels that it is better not to think of what is happening around. “We have to be in a good mindset and be ready for any challenges. It will be one of the toughest tours as we play the WTC final against New Zealand and England in a five-Test series. A lot of hard work would have to go into this tour,” said the 50-year-old former Hyderabad Ranji cricketer.

As a fielding coach, he is aware that the ball will wobble a lot. “It will be very challenging for the fielders. The players are seasoned campaigners and they know how to go about in these conditions.”

Any talk about Rishabh Pant, Sridhar is excited. “Rishabh has shown remarkable improvement as far as his work behind the stumps is concerned. He made a lot of sacrifices to reach this level.”

What about his reaction when a fielder drops a catch, Sridhar said: “From outside I look very calm but inside I will be emotionally upset. We take the course correction immediately.”

And when Virat Kohli grasses a catch, Sridhar said: “He immediately acknowledges his mistake. He lifts his hand to apologise to me and to the team. He never shies away from his mistakes. Kohli is a leader, both on and off the field. He is a movement.”

The veteran coach said the Australian series win put Indian cricket in a different league. “It is a testimony to our attitude and hard work. It is a testimony to our vibrant domestic structure. It is a testimony to the exciting IPL. It is the testimony to our programme. For the last five years, we have remained No.1 in Test rankings. The challenge from here is to maintain that and we have to make sure we stay at the top.”

Sridhar said Ravi Shastri should take the maximum credit. “It is always fun to work with Ravi. He has got no agenda. He is clear in his thoughts and instructions. He gives a lot of confidence to the players. He gives a route map to the players to come back to the top. The way he kept his confidence in Pant is a testimony to his coaching style. In 2014, when we went to England for the first time, we were struggling as a team and the way the he has turned the fortunes of the Indian team is amazing.”

The fielding coach said Bharat Arun has been instrumental in India having a rich pool of fast bowlers. “His methods are simple. He understands the bowlers and works with them in a very organised way. He helps the bowlers to understand their own strength.”

Sridhar thinks pace bowler Mohammed Siraj is a super king. “He is infectious and everyone likes him. He has earned the confidence of the team with his sublime skills with the ball.”

According to the coach, Ravichandran Ashwin is a shrewd operator of the ball. “He is unbelievable with his bowling now. He should write a book on how he planned the batsmen’s dismissals. He is the Virat Kohli of bowling.”

Sridhar compared Ravindra Jadeja with Jonty Rhodes. “The Indian team is fortunate to have a fielder like Jadeja. He makes fielding look simple and that is the beauty. The brilliant catch taken in New Zealand last year and the phenomenal run out of Steve Smith in Sydney were pure dynamics of super fielding.”

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