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India's Fielding Under Scrutiny: Morkel Stresses Catch Focus Ahead of Super 8s

India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has highlighted fielding and catching as a critical focus area as the team enters the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup. He admitted the team has dropped nine catches in the tournament so far, creating unwanted pressure. The errors were evident in the win against the Netherlands, where two dropped chances gave a batter extra lives. Morkel emphasized the team is working hard to convert even the 50-50 catching opportunities to break the opposition's momentum.

Key Points: India's Fielding Focus for T20 World Cup Super 8s - Morkel

  • Fielding under scrutiny
  • 9 catches dropped
  • Focus on 50-50 chances
  • Super 8 clash vs South Africa
  • Momentum swings from catches
2 min read

"We work hard on is our fielding": India bowling coach Morne Morkel

Bowling coach Morne Morkel says India is working hard on fielding and catching, crucial for the T20 World Cup's decisive phase after dropping 9 catches.

"One thing that we work hard on is our fielding... catching is definitely going to play a big part now in the business end of the tournament. - Morne Morkel"

Ahmedabad, February 20

India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has stressed the growing importance of sharp fielding and clutch catching as the team heads into the decisive phase of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament, admitting that lapses in the field can heavily influence match outcomes.

Speaking about India's recent fielding concerns during the pre-match conference ahead of their first Super Eight clash against South Africa, Morkel said the team has been putting in extra effort to tighten up its work on the field, particularly in cutting down angles to prevent twos and stopping boundaries.

"One thing that we work hard on is our fielding. We know the importance of the catches, wherever we can cut down angles to stop the twos, to stop any boundaries. But catching is definitely going to play a big part now in the business end of the tournament," Morkel said.

India has faced scrutiny over missed opportunities in recent matches, with dropped catches and misfields proving costly.

India's most recent win against the Netherlands saw Zach Lion-Cachet given two lives, first after a miscommunication between captain Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh led to a collision and a dropped catch, and then again when Tilak Verma spilt another opportunity in the final over.

India still managed to defeat the Netherlands by 17 runs, completing a perfect group-stage run, but the repeated errors have added an unwanted layer of concern before tougher opponents arrive.

Morkel, however, acknowledged that while no catch is ever truly easy, the team is committed to improving its consistency.

Team India has dropped as many as nine catches in the ongoing T20 World Cup, which is the second most by any team in the tournament, behind only Ireland (10).

"Unfortunately, no catch is an easy catch, and the boys are putting the yards in and catching a lot of balls. But that's definitely one of our key focus points, is to really even go for those 50-50 ones, because we know how that can swing and break the momentum of a batting innings," he added.

After remaining unbeaten in Group A, the defending champions will head into the Super 8s with a high-voltage clash against South Africa on February 22.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Absolutely right! Catches win matches, it's as simple as that. The collision between SKY and Rinku was painful to watch. Better communication is needed. Hope they've done some serious drills. All the best for the Super 8s! 💙
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Vikram M
Second most dropped catches in the tournament? That's a shocking stat for a team of India's caliber. The bowling has been top-class, but fielding is letting them down. These 50-50 chances Morkel talks about are what separate champions from the rest.
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Aman W
Respectfully, I think we focus too much on batting and bowling in our domestic cricket. Fielding standards need to be non-negotiable from the grassroot level upwards. It's a fitness and attitude thing. Hope the team tightens up!
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Priya S
The boys are working hard, that's clear. But pressure does things to you. Maybe they need a sports psychologist too? Anyway, backing our team fully! Let's go India, bring that intensity on the field against SA! 🔥
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David E
Watching from the UK. India's fielding in the group stage was surprisingly sloppy. Against teams like South Africa or England, those missed chances will be punished severely. Morkel's experience should help, but the players have to execute.

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