Era of aggressive Test fields over - Dhoni

[ganeshran]

MS Dhoni has said that while fielding strategies and placements on India's slow, low turners have re-written the conventional textbook around attack and defence, the assessment of pitches and tactics appeared somewhat slanted. Sixteen wickets fell on day three and four innings were completed over three days at the Kotla as India finished its 4-0 creaming of Australia. When asked whether surfaces like those in Delhi were right for Test cricket, Dhoni's reply was sardonic and also contained his response to past criticism of his captaincy. "Well, you'll have to answer what is 'right' and what is 'wrong' because your opinion really counts ... When four fast bowlers play, it becomes strategy, when three spinners or four spinners play, it becomes a bad wicket." He went on to give an example of how the interpretation of the same deep-field placements were different for different captains: "For Virender Sehwag, if you have a deep point and a deep-third man and a deep-square leg, it's a strategy. If MS Dhoni has a deep point and a deep-square leg for David Warner, it's a defensive field set. You have to see the mindset [of the batsman] and accordingly go ahead." Dhoni also stated that the era of aggressive cricket, wherein having a mid-on up was common, has gone. Dhoni said: "The kind of cricket that we play has entirely changed … The era of seeing aggressive cricket, where you had to have a mid-on up, has gone." The in-out field, used in plenty by the Indians, has become the norm with positions distributed between fieldsmen in catching positions and the boundary riders. In the Delhi Test, Dhoni described the offspinner's conventional field: "You have a short leg, a backward, and a slip. And you have three fielders - deep midwicket, long-on and deep-square leg." The latter three may have been conventionally considered boundary-saving, defensive fielders, but Dhoni said today's field placements had much to do with studying the comfort zone and mindset of individual batsmen. Whether to employ a mid-on or long-on fielder was a decision that had to be made through a flexible reading of different batsmen, he said, and not on whether to stop the single or the boundary against all batsmen or the scoreboard situation. "You read the batsmen to see if he is in the mindset of rotating singles, if there's a mid-on, deep midwicket and four catching fielders, and if he can rotate every ball. If he's not having any problems, then you try to bring in the mid-on fielder or deep-midwicket fielder to build up the pressure." If a batsman has more confidence going over the infield, "especially on wickets like these, it's important that you don't concede runs in a bunch". The aim of the deep fielders was, he said, to deny the batsman the boundaries and check the opposition scoreboard from racing ahead. At a time like that, Dhoni said, he was fine with the batsmen taking singles because it created more chances. "If you rotate [the strike] four times, you get four runs and [on] those four runs, you can get them out as many times."

[Junyfan]

I do not agree.

[MCcricket]

Yes says an idiot who doesn't nurture groom or pick bowlers who have pace and aggression and chooses trundlers lol, anyday Akhtar, Steyn, Donald, Waseem can bowl aggressive in any era.His ignorance can only thrive on these designer pitches let him learn to play and captain in SA, AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, NZ , ignorant idiot.

[Laaloo]

God forbid the opposition chases 500 runs Let's make them chase 600 :king:

[zep1706]

MS Dhoni is one of the worst test match captains I have seen.

[vvvslaxman]

He is somewhat true. In-out field is pretty common with more counter-attacking batsmen. Having said that you don't need to set field for all kind of bad balls. For guys like Sehwag deep thirdman is an attacking position. Even SOuth Africa had a third man from the get go for him. You don't see 5 or 6 slips anymore even for very good bowler like Steyn. In the 80s they had that kind of slip cordon for even ordinary bowlers. There is definitely some evolvement there. Can't totally deny it. But he still doesn't get either "in" or "out" perfectly.

[Pagalpanti]

In-out fields were employed by Cook and Clarke/Watson as well.

[Junyfan]

mcculum is very aggressive Indeed.

[Ultimate_Game]

Yes says an idiot who doesn't nurture groom or pick bowlers who have pace and aggression and chooses trundlers lol' date= anyday Akhtar, Steyn, Donald, Waseem can bowl aggressive in any era.His ignorance can only thrive on these designer pitches let him learn to play and captain in SA, AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, NZ , ignorant idiot.

Pray tell me who are these so called bowlers with "pace and aggression"? Aaron who only gets fit for IPL? Or Yadav who gets injured most of the time and when not he goes at a rate of 4.5 in Tests? Or maybe you had koomars in mind.

[vvvslaxman]

Here is an example of aggressive field by McCullum. You see 4 slips. 5th guy stands at Gully close to 4th slipyou won't see him in the pic. But Boult is far far superior than any of our bowlers bar Zak at his peak.

[suraj]

lots of nonsensical comments on this thread somebody saying "worst captain in Test cricket" - really?? Abe BKLs he might not be the best ever but considering what he gets as bowlers do you really think he can have 9 fielders around the bat?? chewtiyas :finger:

[Pagalpanti]

Here is an example of aggressive field by McCullum. You see 4 slips. 5th guy stands at Gully close to 4th slipyou won't see him in the pic. But Boult is far far superior than any of our bowlers bar Zak at his peak.

Having such fields in India would be suicidal - handing over opposition free runs. Ball hardly bounces over knee height in most of the Indian pitches.

[vvvslaxman]

Having such fields in India would be suicidal - handing over opposition free runs. Ball hardly bounces over knee height in most of the Indian pitches.

Not just India. We never had the luxury of having such field anywhere in the world. Even Irfan works up some pace and accuracy he can be deadly against left handers.

[ravishingravi]

Well he has 5 people on the boundary for No. 8 who just walked in to bat on spinning track. This is just plain defensive and afraid, not in-out field. He is partially right in India, not outside.

[The Outsider]

It's the era of setting 600+ targets to NZ and refusing to chase 180 in 50 overs. :hysterical:

[Texan]

Whatever he's said is somewhat true. For aggressive batsmen, setting defensive fields is also a wicket-taking strategy. Aggressive batsmen like Warner or Sehwag go for their shots irrespective of field placements and can often get caught in the deep. I remember Sehwag getting caught at third man on so many occasions playing his favorite slash over the slips.

[gaurav92]

It's the era of setting 600+ targets to NZ and refusing to chase 180 in 50 overs. :hysterical:

True

[ravishingravi]

It's the era of setting 600+ targets to NZ and refusing to chase 180 in 50 overs. :hysterical:

+1

[Lord]

lol one win and hes started giving gyaan:haha:

[Sidhoni]

Well he has 5 people on the boundary for No. 8 who just walked in to bat on spinning track. This is just plain defensive and afraid, not in-out field. He is partially right in India, not outside.

Could you please tell me when did that happen?