From World-Class to Achilles' Heel

India's fielding, once among the top three in world cricket, has become the team's Achilles' heel in recent times. Despite having fielding expertise in T Dilip and Ryan ten Doeschate in their coaching setup, the team's catching efficiency has dipped abysmally.

The numbers paint a worrying picture. Since June, India have dropped 28 catches across their men's international fixtures: four in the Test against Afghanistan, one in the ODI series against Afghanistan, six in the two T20Is in Ireland, five in the five-match T20I series against England, two in the ODIs against England and 10 in the three T20Is against Zimbabwe. The overall catching efficiency during this period stood at a modest 76.8 per cent.

Zimbabwe Series Exposes Frailties

The Zimbabwe series, in particular, exposed India's fielding frailties. The visitors managed a catching efficiency of just 64.2 per cent, taking 18 catches while spilling 10. Zimbabwe, in contrast, recorded an impressive 92.3 per cent, taking 12 catches and dropping only one. Even Zimbabwe - ranked 12th in T20Is - outperformed Gautam Gambhir's side on that measure.

It was not just catching; there were instances of runs not being stopped and throws going awry.

Sridhar: 'Fielding is Part of Team Culture'

R Sridhar, former India fielding coach, under whom the team developed into one of the world's finest outfits, says: "Fielding is part of a team's culture; it cannot be developed overnight. The most important ingredient is the players' desire to become good fielders. For a fielding coach to build a top-class fielding unit, they needs time to work with the players. If you only have two or three days to prepare before a series, it becomes extremely difficult".

Sridhar adds, "While it is the coach's responsibility to prepare and plan, the ownership ultimately rests with the players."

Frequent Personnel Changes Compound Problem

Sridhar also underscored another factor affecting fielding standards. "Frequent changes in personnel are another challenge. It is difficult to devise player-specific and position-specific fielding plans or assign specialised roles when the playing XI keeps changing. Ultimately, though, it all comes down to fitness. The fitter the player, the better the fielder," he said.

The frequent change of personnel lends credence to Sridhar's point. Since the end of IPL 2026, India have used 35 players across 17 internationals in all three formats. The breakdown comprises 20 players in 10 T20Is, 18 in six ODIs, besides the XI that featured in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. The constant changes have also seen eight players make their international debuts during this period.

Mooney: 'Indian Players Don't Spend Enough Time on Fielding'

Former Irish player John Mooney, fielding coach of Delhi Capitals and currently coaching the Southern Brave side in the Hundred, has also overseen international teams including Afghanistan and West Indies. He weighs in on what ails Indian fielding.

"Look, there are some really good coaches in India and with the Indian team, and I don't want to get into nitpicking. But from my experience, I believe Indian players spend a great deal of time honing their primary skills — batting and bowling. They devote a lot of time to those areas. What I don't believe — and this is just my opinion — is that they give fielding the attention it deserves," Mooney said.

"A top-order batter might spend an hour in the nets, sometimes even two hours if there are enough bowlers, and then spend only five minutes on fielding. I think the disparity between working on their core skills and working on their fielding is simply too great."

Multi-Sport Background Key to Athletic Fielders

Mooney also addressed why Indian fast bowlers are not generally great athletes compared to their Australian counterparts. "My opinion is this, and I'll use Mitchell Starc as an example. I worked with Mitchell at Delhi in the IPL. Believe it or not, he was a wicketkeeper when he was a kid before growing into one of the world's premier fast bowlers. But he's also an unbelievably skilled fielder."

"More broadly, if you take a typical Australian cricketer, he has probably also played rugby, hockey, soccer or Australian Rules football while growing up. Playing a variety of sports during your formative years teaches you a lot. It improves your peripheral vision, your speed and your ability to move in different directions."

Mooney contrasted this with South Asian players: "I feel many South Asian players grow up playing only cricket and not enough other sports. In my opinion, that can hold back their development as fielders. Take someone like Mohammed Siraj. I don't know his background, so I can't say this for certain, but doubt he grew up playing four or five different sports at school. He probably focused mainly on cricket."

Social Media Impact on Attention Spans

When asked if poor fielding is a new-generation thing, Mooney said: "I do feel social media and similar distractions have affected the attention spans of many young people. Cricket is a game of concentration. It's a game of skill. It's a game of wits."

"When I was playing, we didn't have those distractions. We spent time together as a group, even on the team bus. If you get on a team bus now, there's very little conversation or sharing of ideas. Everybody is in their own bubble, looking at their phones with earphones on."

Looking Ahead to Sri Lanka

Fielding will be an important factor in Sri Lanka where India play two Tests. With spin expected to be the dominating factor, close-in fielding and slip catching will be crucial, making it a challenging first assignment for new fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh.

As for the departed coaches, ten Doeschate has been appointed Head of Strategy at Kolkata Knight Riders and is expected to oversee the franchise's fielding programme in the IPL. Dilip, whose contract was not renewed by the BCCI, is expected to land an IPL role soon, having received unequivocal backing from Rohit Sharma.