The Jagjit Singh concert at the Symphony Hall drew a packed house. You can also expect a packed house at Edgbaston tomorrow. But what you can’t expect at this stage is India’s showing on the outfield. Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni — not in as many words — admits to that.“We are batting well, bowling well and are just trying to improve our fielding. It’s just a problem with our throws, it’s a big outfield and we don’t have the throws like that of Flintoff, Symonds or guys who are big or strong,” says the Indian vice-captain.“We are not renowned for flat, long throws. But we are trying to attack the balls, take a brisk start and save the extra run.”One of the guys who Dhoni mentioned posseses the big flat throw is under the cloud to take field tomorrow. And the Indian wicket-keeper acknowledged that the absence of Flintoff in the England camp will be a big advantage for India. “He’s a kind of player who always has an impact on the game — the perfect all-rounder.He comes in as a third seamer during field restrictions, then bowls three overs in the middle and comes back at the death. If he’s not playing I think England will be on the back foot.”Dhoni identifies the root cause behind India’s long-standing tag of poor fielders. “We don’t have green grounds back home and that is a problem. We don’t know how exactly to dive. I never used to dive or slide as a kid because I never had a good enough ground to do so, “ he says.The gradual progress, he knows, will definitely come. But at the end of the day, Dhoni knows the team will be judged by its field performance each match day.
