Indian cricket team fielding coach T Dilip has said the key to taking high catches at the Dubai International Stadium, where the layout of the floodlights is quite different from the conventional setup, is to not lose sight of the ball even for a fraction of a second. The Indian team has adapted quite well to the high-intensity floodlights mounted around the circumference of the round roof of the stadium, as against the conventional pillar-mounted lights seen across cricket stadiums across the world.
Giving a deep dive into the team’s fielding drills and how Indian players train for high outfield catches during crucial moments, Dilip said in a video posted by BCCI on ‘X’ that, “One of the challenges we encounter in Dubai Stadium is the lights are slightly different. It’s more of a ring of fire which are in the dome basically rather than on the poles, which we usually come across. “The challenge in the ring of fire is especially on outfield boundary line catches. There is a tendency that you lose sight of the ball for a split second, especially when the ball is travelling through that or coming through it,” said Dilip.
He added that the humidity levels at the venue can also play a big role in matches and players should constantly remain “switched on” in high-intensity matches. “It’s all about how players are switched on at that particular moment and how they respond to that particular ball which is very very important considering the humidity in Dubai and especially in T20 which is very high-intense game,” added Dilip. The Hyderabad-based coach has been associated with the Indian team since the days when Rahul Dravid was the head coach.
He also dwelled into the technicalities of taking high catches in humid conditions when the density of the air goes up, affecting the descent of the ball. “And, another challenge is humidity and density. The depth and perception of high catches over a period, the drop becomes different compared to other places. “We have been taught throughout our life (to) always watch the ball, and as soon as you don’t see the ball for a split second you tend to panic. So, what we try to do in practice sessions is to add variable practices.
Then, slowly the players realise that even if you lose a split second in the (flood)light, you still have a lot of time,” he said. “Another factor which differentiates on the ground on that particular day is the speed at which they (fielders) can reach the ball, which makes a lot of difference because they practice so hard for the hands to work out. And feet going near to the ball is also very important,” he explained. With two wins from as many matches, India are already through to the Super 4 stage of the ongoing Asia Cup here and will take on Oman in the final group game in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
