Even as India takes heart from its spirited performance in the first one-dayer in Vadodara they will know that but for some lackadaisical efforts on the field they could well have won the game. The fielding was way below international standards excepting for the odd fielder and in a tight game that will invariably be the difference between winning a match or losing it. India has never been a great fielding side though it has had some superb fielders in every team. It is all a matter of the mindset and fielding is not given much importance by the coaches at a young age and that means that players, as they progress through the ranks, think of it as a tiresome chore than a joy to do. That is the reason why most Indian fielders are seen picking the ball up with the wrong balance and the throwing is hardly ever accurate leave alone being powerful enough to run a batsman out from the boundary. The rough outfields that junior cricket is played on in most big cities also stops the players from diving or sliding because of the fear of skinning the elbows and the knees. There is also the worry with the uneven outfields that the ball might bounce and smash into the face. The thrill that spectators get with a brilliant piece of fielding can seldom be matched by a huge six or the sight of the stumps sent flying by a quick bowler. That’s why good fielders are always more popular than big hitters because while fielding is a regular part of every cricket game big hitting may not always be seen in every match.
The positives that India will take is the manner in which Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar took the attack to the Australians and almost got them home. They never gave up and played some terrific shots to give India more than a glimmer of hope. Harbhajan has shown remarkable determination to get better as a batsman and it is paying rich dividends. What he needs to understand is that even regular and top quality batsmen find it hard to connect with the reverse sweep and since he is not yet a top batsman it is a shot that he should avoid for he will be better off playing the old fashioned way. When he started hitting Hauritz with the spin than try the reverse sweep he connected every time and got runs.
With Yuvraj likely to be back the selectors will have to think hard whom to drop since Jadeja bowled well and got the prized scalp of the Australian skipper Ponting. He is also one of the few top movers in the field so he saves a lot of runs. It’s important though that the Indians come back in the second game else they will find themselves trying to play catch-up with the Australians who are masters at not letting the opposition in when they are ahead.
— Professional Management Group
