Is this Indian cricket team the best fielding side ever in the country’s history?

Only few years ago, Indian cricketers were termed as ‘donkeys’ in the field, and having boasted a powerful batting line-up and an average bowling unit, it was always the fielding department that let them down in crunch moments. In fact at one point of time, India was considered one of the laziest teams in ground fielding and a very ordinary catching side.

But this all changed from the moment India started thinking about the World Cup 2011. The Captain, the selectors and the team management knew it straight away that if India were to triumph in the ODI World Cup in 2011, they would need to improve in the most important aspect of the game of cricket ie fielding. This meant taking harsh calls on some of the senior players in the quest for young and dynamic players which could raise the standards of fielding, a team which does not only have class and elegance but also has more spark and the athleticism in the field.

And with all the necessary efforts done, it was only a while that India won the coveted World Cup title. While batting has been the strength, it is no surprise that it was the fielding that kept them in the game and yielded the best out of its bowlers. Now the world cup glory is two years old and the next world cup is as much time later, yet Indian selectors think the same way- “Look for young players”. It is nothing less than a treat for spectators to watch players like Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma stretching their arms full length diving across the field saving boundaries, plucking spectacular catches and affecting superb run outs which has been hitherto a rare scene in erstwhile Indian teams.

With this newly rejuvenated  India side, which has been ranked consistently at the top of the ODI rankings, it is no secret that this team is the best fielding side among all other teams at the moment and surely among the country’s own history.

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