Mohammed Azharuddin was one of the best captains India has ever had and during his playing days, he was also considered one of the best fielders in the world. His slip catching was exemplary and his prowling in close quarters kept the batters in their toes.
Drawing a comparison between two gun fielders Mohammad Azharuddin and Ravindra Jadeja, former India fielding coach R Sridhar said that the former would have been "brilliant" on the field in the modern era too.
“It is difficult to judge across different eras and fielding judged by different standards. In the '80s when Ajju bhai (Azharuddin's nickname in Indian cricket) made his debut, there was no fitness culture in Indian cricket. It kicked in only in the late 90s and Ajju bhai was a stand-out because of his athleticism and because he had great hands, good throw. Probably the bench-mark was different," Sridhar told PTI in an interview.
Azharuddin tops the list of most matches pouched by an Indian player in ODI cricket with 156 catches. Sridhar said that Azharuddin was special as he was an excellent fielder irrespective of the fielding position.
He compared him with the athletic ability of Ravindra Jadeja and said: "Jadeja is someone who is pleasing to the eye even when he is chasing a ball to the boundary. He is cut above rest in world cricket. So was Azhar during his time. Azhar of 1985 to 1990 would have been a brilliant fielder even now, whether slips, close-in or being lightning in the outfield."
Sridhar also shared his opinions about the Indian slip fielding consisting of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara currently.
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"With practice, comes confidence and also knowledge of that position which brings in consistency. Obviously, being a certainty helps (smiles). When you are a certainty in the team, it helps you become a better slip fielder. That's why we had Pujara, then Virat, then Rohit, who is an outstanding slip fielder. The right person standing at the right place brings consistency. That's part of planning and preparation," he further said.
Sridhar’s tenure with the Indian team ended after 7 years as the BCCI chose T Dilip as the new fielding coach with Rahul Dravid taking over as head coach of the team.
(PTI inputs)
