RAJKOT, DECEMBER 13: Fresh from an exhaustive session of catch practice and stump sighting drills with his wards, the Indian coach John Wright's end of the tour report card had one remark in bold red: Fielding needs improvement. Talking the media on eve of the final ODI match of the series, the former New Zealand Test star said, "with wickets as true as in India, if catches are dropped it is very difficult to get a team out twice." He added that fielding forms the basis and any team's performance and this will be his area of focus now. The coach did acknowledge the globally-known fact that the team was full of talent but added that it lacked consistency. The remedy to this age-old problem of the national team was to harness an `intensity of field'. Wright said the `valuable' time he got with the players during the series has helped him know them well. Commenting on the composition of the Indian team in Tests, he said "with Anil Kumble in the side, we can afford to have four bowlers but in the absence of the leg-spinner there is a need for a bowler who can bowl about 15 overs in a day." If the coach was specific on the balance of the team, he sounded abstract when asked if he had achieved any targets he had fixed before taking the assignment. "A coach does not reach anywhere, he just advises the players to work on certain lines and they expect them to play good cricket." The thing that impressed Wright most was the newly-inducted youngsters in the side. For Zimbabwean skipper Heath Streak, despite the loss in the One-Day and Test series the experience gained was a major plus for them. "The new bunch of players playing in Indian conditions was a vital factor and this would be a big help in future," he said. He also added that the seniors players too gained a lot. "Campbell got his first Test ton while the Flower brothers just confirmed their class during this tour," he said. About his personal performance he said the Indian conditions were not conducive for his type of bowlers. "I rely more on swing thus it is difficult to be successful here," he said. But the visiting skipper said he is looking forward to the New Zealand and Australian tour where he has more chance to be successful.
