T20 World Cup| Dropped catches a concern, says Morkel

Catches often win matches, but dropped chances can cost dearly. While India’s drops have not yet proven fatal in the ICC T20 World Cup, the frequency of missed opportunities has emerged as a worry for Suryakumar Yadav’s side ahead of Thursday’s semifinal against England.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel conceded that the lapses in the field remain a concern as the tournament enters its decisive phase.

“Obviously nobody looks to drop a catch on purpose. It’s not like we don’t train for it,” Morkel said on Wednesday on the sidelines of India’s optional practice session. “There is a lot of focus on our fielding, and that was one of the key points heading into the World Cup. The guys train and work hard on their fielding. At times, is it a mindset thing? I can’t answer that.”

Through seven matches in the tournament, India has dropped 13 catches — the most by any team so far. In the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday, three chances went down, with Abhishek Sharma dropping two and Tilak Varma spilling another in the deep.

Morkel acknowledged that positioning fielders optimally has not always been straightforward in the fast-paced T20 format. “For us it’s just about continuing to do the hard work and really focusing on getting certain players into the hot spots and the right areas,” he said.

“At times it’s hard to do that because you’re also working against an over-rate. That’s the responsibility the players need to take on the field — to find yourself in a position, in the hot zones, and to work a little bit extra. If we can get the right players in those positions, hopefully we can take the catches.”

Despite the youthful energy in the squad, the current Indian line-up still has a few fielders a captain might prefer to hide in the outfield. In T20 cricket, though, there are few hiding places. On a ground like the Wankhede, where momentum can shift in a matter of deliveries, India will hope that come Thursday night, no fielder is left wishing a dropped chance had not come his way.