Why Jonty is the best
I was watching the Indian fielding in the 4th ODI against SriLanka a while ago. I always get excited when a youngster does well. Particularly if he is some Indian youth throwing himself around on the field and pulling off a few electric saves, it's more reason for a toast. But somehow since some of the consistently breathtaking acts of Mohammed Kaif, no one seems to be in the league.
That brings me to the greatest fielder of all time. The special thing about Jonty was that I never remember him botching up what we can call a regulation act in the field. We have seen Herschelle Gibbs drop the world cup and Yuvraj Singh hold his knee and let go by a few runs. But somehow that never happened with Jonty. Before being a spectacular fielder, he was a very very safe fielder. He did all the basics right before going for the flamboyant. And unlike Yuvraj Singh, who at 26 is beginning to resemble a typical 30+ Indian veteran, Jonty's standards never dipped. Probably he sensed his moment and retired before the reflexes got slow. All this for a man who experienced a childhood affected by epilepsy and the effort becomes even more commendable.
Men grow slower as they become older. If they are Indian, they tend to grow complacent as well. It is probably something with the Indian cricket culture. As a cricketing kid, you are made the sacrificial lamb fielding at forward short leg. So when you have grown and secured place in the side, you probably feel the need to do the same to others. Which is why we see no Indian matching Justin Langer's skills at that position even at the age of 36. Apart from Dravid (1st slip), Laxman (2nd slip) and Azhar (point for ODIs) I don't remember many Indians developing indispensable fielding specialties. By the time they become good at short leg, they have grown senior enough to move out of that position and a new rookie has to start the learning process all over.
A long given excuse for the below standards fielding of Indians is the lack of lush green fields for kids learning their skills. But I think Indian setup is now rich enough to afford all these facilities for people who want to maintain their standards, if not for those who are still developing the art. And that is precisely my point about Jonty. He started at level extra-ordinary++ with the first ever man of the match for fielding effort alone and a stunning run-out of a bemused Inzamam Ul Huq and remained the best fielder of the world for over a decade. And it's the passion that keeps Tendulkar's batting or Anil Kumble's bowling going even after 2 decades, that is lacking from the psyche of Indian fielders.
An incident before I conclude. 3rd morning of the Mohali test, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson batting against the inspired duo of Zaheer and Ishant. Zaheer is getting a healthy reverse shape back into Hussey, who is desperate to get the pad out of harm's way and push it to the offside, to hand over the strike to Watson. Dhoni and Zaheer work out the short point position precisely to stop Hussey getting that single, not because they hope that Hussey will scoop something up in that direction (a normal point would have been a bit too deep and hence, being an Indian test fielder, too slow). And after tapping two balls straight to the man, he manages to get the third under him and get off-strike, just because Sehwag is a tad too heavy to bend down in time. If I were Zaheer, I would have emptied my glossary of expletives.
That brings me to the greatest fielder of all time. The special thing about Jonty was that I never remember him botching up what we can call a regulation act in the field. We have seen Herschelle Gibbs drop the world cup and Yuvraj Singh hold his knee and let go by a few runs. But somehow that never happened with Jonty. Before being a spectacular fielder, he was a very very safe fielder. He did all the basics right before going for the flamboyant. And unlike Yuvraj Singh, who at 26 is beginning to resemble a typical 30+ Indian veteran, Jonty's standards never dipped. Probably he sensed his moment and retired before the reflexes got slow. All this for a man who experienced a childhood affected by epilepsy and the effort becomes even more commendable.
Men grow slower as they become older. If they are Indian, they tend to grow complacent as well. It is probably something with the Indian cricket culture. As a cricketing kid, you are made the sacrificial lamb fielding at forward short leg. So when you have grown and secured place in the side, you probably feel the need to do the same to others. Which is why we see no Indian matching Justin Langer's skills at that position even at the age of 36. Apart from Dravid (1st slip), Laxman (2nd slip) and Azhar (point for ODIs) I don't remember many Indians developing indispensable fielding specialties. By the time they become good at short leg, they have grown senior enough to move out of that position and a new rookie has to start the learning process all over.
A long given excuse for the below standards fielding of Indians is the lack of lush green fields for kids learning their skills. But I think Indian setup is now rich enough to afford all these facilities for people who want to maintain their standards, if not for those who are still developing the art. And that is precisely my point about Jonty. He started at level extra-ordinary++ with the first ever man of the match for fielding effort alone and a stunning run-out of a bemused Inzamam Ul Huq and remained the best fielder of the world for over a decade. And it's the passion that keeps Tendulkar's batting or Anil Kumble's bowling going even after 2 decades, that is lacking from the psyche of Indian fielders.
An incident before I conclude. 3rd morning of the Mohali test, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson batting against the inspired duo of Zaheer and Ishant. Zaheer is getting a healthy reverse shape back into Hussey, who is desperate to get the pad out of harm's way and push it to the offside, to hand over the strike to Watson. Dhoni and Zaheer work out the short point position precisely to stop Hussey getting that single, not because they hope that Hussey will scoop something up in that direction (a normal point would have been a bit too deep and hence, being an Indian test fielder, too slow). And after tapping two balls straight to the man, he manages to get the third under him and get off-strike, just because Sehwag is a tad too heavy to bend down in time. If I were Zaheer, I would have emptied my glossary of expletives.
posted by w_o @ 9:02 PM
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