MS Dhoni And Virat Kohli Are Responsible For The Paradigm Shift In Indian Fitness And Fielding: Peter Wellings

It is fair to say that Indian cricket has grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to fitness and ground fielding. And, the current Indian captain Virat Kohli has played a huge role in bringing about a whirlwind change in the attitude towards fitness.

And, he has done that by leading from the front. The change in attitude towards fitness has resulted in Indian players getting more agile in the field and no longer does have to hide some of its players in the field, who were supposedly ‘slow movers’.

While Kohli has taken the level of fitness to the next level, we often forget, the first person to instigate that whirlwind change in attitude towards fitness and fielding was former captain, MS Dhoni.

Peter Wellings, a Level-3 accredited fielding coach, feels that both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli should be credited for bringing about a paradigm shift in the attitude towards fitness and fielding in Indian cricket.

The former Middlesex cricketer revealed that the fielding revolution actually started after India lost the home Test series against England [1-2] under the leadership of MS Dhoni back in 2012-13.

Also Read: Mohammed Shami Reveals What MS Dhoni Told Him During The 2014 Wellington Test

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli responsible for India’s surge in fitness: Peter Wellings

Wellings added that it was after seeing some of his fielder’s shoddy efforts that MS Dhoni decided that something needed to be done about the culture and attitude towards fielding.

“MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli changed the landscape of Indian fielding. MS started the fielding revolution in Indian cricket, especially after England won a Test series 2-1 in India in 2012. England were much better in the field and Dhoni was really crossed because guys were stopping the ball with their feet and stuff. So he said ‘right, we’re going to change the culture,” Peter Wellings said in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.

And, then, Virat Kohli, courtesy his drive to be supremely fit, led by the example and took that to another level.

“Virat has taken it to the next level and he’s simply put forward a message, ‘We’re going to be fit. I’ll go first. I’ll lead by example and if you want to be in my team, you’re going to have to be strong in the field. He’s changed that mentality and all of a sudden, India’s got 10 guys who can bowl at 90 miles per hour and buzz the ball into the keeper’s gloves,” Wellings said

He added: “And now just look how strong India have become. They’ve got the best white-ball batsman in the world; they have the best white-ball bowler in the world. And arguably, you’ve got the best fielder in the world in Ravindra Jadeja. Him and Stokes are probably the two best in the world right now.”

And, as Wellings alluded to, the results are for everyone to see. Today, India has a plethora of outstanding fielders, none better than Ravindra Jadeja, and a set of supremely fit bowlers who can run-in day-in-day-out and bowl at 140 clicks.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Used To Sledge Even More During His U-19 Days, Reveals Rubel Hossain