Hyderabad hand in Indian high against Sri Lanka

Fielding coach R Sridhar works behind the scenes to shape resilient side

Update: 2015-09-04 01:54 GMT
Team India fielding coach R. Sridhar poses with captain Virat Kohli and the trophy after the recent series win against Sri Lanka. (Photo: Twitter)

HyderabadVirat Kohli and his boys have earned plenty of plaudits for their stupendous show in Sri Lanka but not many would know of the pundits who burnt midnight oil to ensure the leading lights shone bright on the field.

Hyderabad’s R. Sridhar is one such who has silently worked behind the scenes in his capacity as Team India’s fielding coach to good effect.

A former Ranji Trophy player, Sridhar has worked his way up the coaching ranks — from academy, club, junior state, India U-19, India ‘A’ levels to the senior national side. That’s a lot of experience under the belt for the 45-year-old. He’s putting it to good use too.

Sridhar was all praise for Kohli and Co. “Resilient is probably the word I would use to describe the current bunch, especially with the way they came back to win the series after being 0-1 down in a three-game affair,” he told this newspaper on Thursday.

Sridhar plays down his role and like a good coach, credits players for the success.

“Our endeavour is only to help them realise their full potential and that can be done only when we remove the external interference from their minds. At practice we do work on technique and physical aspects alright but the challenge is to keep them in shape mentally,” he said.

Sridhar rates an improved India as “one of the top two fielding sides in the world currently, with Australia and South Africa using the revolving door.” 

That is because “this team has got a mindset wherein they treat fielding as their primary skill.”

Besides, “credit to the BCCI for developing good grounds where players are not afraid of diving. The IPL too has played a part in this aspect — every player knows that even if he is a good batsman or a bowler, he’s got to back it up with good fielding as well. It’s been a process over the last five-six years I’d say.”

“There’s something mystical about fielding besides the balance, vision and concentration. Player have their own triggers (short, subconscious routines that prepare them for the next ball, like Dhoni adjusting his shirt over his shoulder, Rahane rubbing his palms) that help them concentrate. It’s fun,” Sridhar says.

Sridhar informs the players are monitored minutely. “We maintain a record of what exactly has been done with each and every player and their physiological properties, which help us device their specialised fielding positions. Somebody is quick over 20 metres while some others have speed over five metres. The former can patrol the boundary while the others can stay inside the 30-yard circle. Well, there are some who are complete, like Rahane and Virat, who can field in any position,” he says.

The support staff hardly rest. “We are always on their toes. For a two-hour session, we need to plan a good two hours before. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, the saying goes. Preparation actually starts much before when it comes to the support staff. In fact, the homework for the next series against South Africa (October-December) has already begun. It’s like fitting the little nuts and bolts to tune-up a big machine.”

The game apart, the former left-arm tweaker has a different spin to coaching. “It’s not about coaching cricketers but people. Cricket is only the medium to create good, well-rounded citizens. End of the day, nobody will remember the numbers, but only how good a person or a character you were,” he concludes.

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