'Reaction Time Is Less': Fielding Coach Subhadeep Ghosh Says New Zealand’s Short Boundaries Test India

New Zealand’s short boundaries leave fielders with less time to react, and that makes players with years of repetition, such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, better placed to handle the challenge, India fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh said on Friday. Ghosh, who replaced long-time fielding coach T Dilip in August, said the team’s build-up has centred on balance and reading the ball.

India arrive with momentum. They won the T20 series 3-2 and are 1-0 up in the five-match ODI contest after a commanding win in Auckland. Speaking before Saturday’s second ODI, Ghosh said India were satisfied with the first match but still focused on refinement.

"We did well in the first ODI, we got some good catches, ground fielding was good, intensity was good," he said on the eve of the second ODI here on Saturday. "Catches are part of the game, sometimes we drop some. We are conscious about this, we are taking responsibility. A lot of things are emphasised in practice sessions. "

He said New Zealand’s conditions make ball judgement, movement and body stability especially important, and those themes have been a regular part of team conversations in the dressing room.

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Kohli Rohit Advantage

When asked about Virat Kohli’s catch and Rohit Sharma’s run out in the opener, Ghosh said anticipation is what distinguishes elite fielders. In his view, both moments reflected the benefits of spending years in the same fielding positions.

"In fielding, one thing that is important is anticipation. Virat has fielded in covers, and point for lakhs of time. He knows the trajectory of the ball, the path of the ball, impact of the ball. "

"He reads the situation earlier than other guys. Same for the Rohit run out, he was anticipating the ball. Experience as well as natural talent (goes into making a great fielder) and doing the same thing again and again," he said.

Ghosh said the logic behind that is simple: repeat the same movements long enough and players begin to react almost automatically under pressure.

Practice And Conditions

To work on reactions, India are fielding with a lighter ball in practice, Ghosh said. In his words, that drill forces players to stay steady and adjust to late movement more cleanly.

"The lighter ball moves away from you and requires stability," he said.

He linked the exercise to New Zealand’s conditions. "In New Zealand, judging the ball is very important, the movement, the stability, these are things we are emphasising in the dressing room and are conscious about it," he elaborated.

Ghosh also said India are treating catching as an ongoing responsibility. "Catches are part of the game, sometimes we drop some. We are conscious about this, we are taking responsibility. A lot of things are emphasised in practice sessions. "

On small grounds, he added, the challenge becomes even sharper. "If you play in (grounds with) small boundaries, there is no outfielder, everyone is infielder. The reaction time is less, the boundary is so close," he said.

Schedule And Selection

With the tour set to finish later this month in a two-Test series, Ghosh was asked whether the dense itinerary is wearing on players physically. He said the bigger issue is mental adjustment rather than fatigue alone.

"It's more about mindset. It is physically challenging but they have played enough cricket to know how to react to these situations."

Ghosh also declined to say whether Mohammed Siraj will feature on Saturday, saying the final call will be left to the management.