IND vs WI: Gill slams India’s ‘sloppy’ fielding after defeat in final ODI

India captain Shubman Gill, right, said there was little room for experiment with less than year left for the ODI World Cup. | Photo Credit: PTI

Even as India celebrated yet another home ODI series triumph, skipper Shubman Gill did not hold back on the things the team needs to improve. Foremost among them was the fielding standard, which the captain felt was poor in these three outings.

“I think we dropped around three or four catches today. I don’t think Shai Hope was dropped, but still, dropping three or four catches breaks the momentum,” said Gill following his side’s five-wicket loss to West Indies in the third and final ODI here on Saturday.

“Our fielding in the series, I would say, has not been up to the mark. I think we dropped around seven catches in the whole series, if I’m not wrong.”

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Gill also highlighted that ground fielding needs to get better and spoke about how it affects the bowlers.

“Even in the field today, we gave away many runs. We were quite sloppy. I think leading up to the World Cup, these are the areas where we definitely need to get better. We need to be at our best, especially on the field. If the wicket isn’t helping the bowlers and our fielding is substandard, it becomes difficult for them,” he added.

On experimenting with players for the all-rounder slots, Gill said, “Anshul and Auqib are the kind of players who are going to be in the mix a lot. We want someone who can bowl and can bat a bit at number 8. That number is very crucial for us.”

“But I honestly don’t think there is that much time to experiment. Hopefully we get all the players that are available from the next series, and we want to start playing with the combination that we want for the World Cup.”