Team India secured a comfortable victory against Bangladesh, yet concerns about their fielding continue to plague Suryakumar Yadav’s squad in the ongoing Asia Cup. With a worrying tally of 12 dropped catches in the tournament, nine of which occurred in the last two matches, questions are mounting over India’s fielding prowess despite their otherwise dominant performance.
An image shows Varun Chakravarthy of India celebrating with teammates.
Varun Chakravarthy, who has personally experienced the frustration of these missed opportunities, candidly admitted that there are no acceptable excuses for such lapses. He emphasized the critical need for the team to improve their catching ahead of the upcoming finals against Sri Lanka.
The spinner pointed to the “ring of fire” at the Dubai International Stadium as a factor that occasionally distracts fielders. “It comes in the eyesight sometimes and it’s a little bit of disturbance. We simply have to get accustomed to it,” he explained.
Chakravarthy acknowledged that the fielding coach T Dilip will have stern words. “This team has been assembled with a clear mission leading up to the World Cup. We absolutely must improve our fielding, and I expect our fielding coach will have plenty to say. He was quiet after the last match, but I believe this time he’ll have much more to discuss,” he added.
Asked about the surface, Varun felt that conditions were more favourable than in earlier matches. “Compared to the wicket we played on in the first match against UAE and the other teams, this was definitely a fresh pitch and appeared much better. It wasn’t too fast, and the ball was coming onto the bat very well,” he observed.
Chakravarthy himself made a strong return after a challenging start. He revealed that subtle changes in how the ball behaved through the innings helped him strike back. “Initially, the ball was skidding on more, but as it got older, I started to get a bit more purchase from the wicket. But other than that, they certainly played me well during the powerplay.”
The spinner also acknowledged the tactical challenge of bowling on pitches where runs dry up after the 10th over. “Talking in spinner’s perspective, if you’re bowling in the powerplay or right after the powerplay, there’s not much help from the wicket. However, as the game progresses and as the field spreads, conditions improve,” he elaborated.
Having cemented his place in India’s white-ball plans, Varun admitted that confidence plays a big role in how he approaches his spells. “In the powerplay, the sole objective is to hunt for wickets. I’m always looking for that one delivery – if it lands in the right spot and turns just a little, it can lead to an edge. Even if I concede a few runs, my aim remains to attack persistently and seek more wickets,” he affirmed.
Chakravarthy also offered insight into his preparations since the Indian Premier League (IPL). “Immediately after the IPL, we had the State Premier League, the Tamil Nadu Premier League. I participated in that, and afterwards, I took a week-long break during which I dedicated a lot of time to practice. Yes, I’ve also been focusing on my batting recently,” he concluded.
India has already secured their spot in the final and will face Sri Lanka on Friday.