Captaincy swap: Sarfaraz Khan leads Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj takes charge of Rohit Sharma in bid for $300 cash prize

With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy hanging in the balance, the Team India players are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the 4th Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26. The Boxing Day Test has already attracted a full house, with temperatures forecasted to soar to 40 degrees Celsius, making it a challenging day for the fielding team. In anticipation of the grueling conditions, fielding coach T Dilip has introduced a creative new drill to keep the players sharp and focused. To add an extra element of excitement, a cash prize of $300 is up for grabs for the best performer. As Melbourne experiences slightly overcast weather two days before the big Test, the team is gearing up for what promises to be a thrilling and competitive match.

Dilip set up three targets – two big stumps, two small stumps and a ball placed in the middle. Instructed to throw the ball from an angle, the player hitting the bigger stumps will earn one point; similarly, two points for striking the smaller stumps and four points for targeting the ball in the middle. To make things even more interesting, the players were divided into groups of three, with Sarfaraz Khan, Mohammed Siraj and Dhruv Jurel appointed captains. Sarfaraz captained Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal in Group 1.

Group 2 featured Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Akash Deep, and Nitish Reddy, who reported to Mohammed Siraj, the captain. Jurel led Group 3, which comprised Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Prasidh Krishna.

"Today's target, you can see three stumps. The bigger stump will have one point, the smaller stump will have two points, and the ball in the centre will have four points. We are using angles today. You can see three markers. From each marker, each one will go six balls," Dilip told the players in a video posted by BCCI.

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"The key objective for me today was getting all together and making sure that before we kick off into the nets, we get some energy going, and together as a group, when we work, it's outstanding."

In the end, Jurel's team won the contest, and the players walked away with the prize. "It feels amazing. Ever since I landed here in Australia, the aim was to win this. The team effort was fantastic," said Jurel.

Dilip and innovative fielding drills are nothing new. Who can forget his initiative of introducing the famous fielding medals during the 2023 World Cup, a tradition that continued during the T20 World Cup, which India eventually won in June earlier this year? It was arguably the most-watched segment after India's matches during the World Cup and one that offered a lifetime of memories to Indian cricket fans.

Just last month, before the Australia Test series opener in Perth, Dilip organised a fielding session where players pitted against each other, which he claimed strengthened the team's bonding exercise. Focused on perfecting the Relay Throw technique, the drill carried a competitive edge, with players earning points for being the first to execute a throw. As the term "relay" suggests, the exercise involved multiple fielders coordinating to deliver an accurate throw to the stumps or wicketkeeper.

Instead of relying on a single long throw from the deep, the practice was divided into two stages. The first fielder would throw the ball from the boundary to a closer teammate, who would then pick it up and hurl it towards the target. Dilip initially called upon the fast bowlers, known for their strong arms and deep-fielding responsibilities, to lead the drill. Soon, the rest of the squad joined in, with players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli standing out. Their pinpoint throws hit the bullseye repeatedly, earning Dilip's approval.