Team India are focusing on the aspect of close-in catching, particularly slip fielding, ahead of the four-Test series against Australia beginning in Nagpur on Thursday.

Australia and India are currently ranked No.1 and 2, respectively, in both the ICC Test team rankings and in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle as well.

The Indians haven’t done exceptionally well fielding at slip lately in Test cricket. Head coach Rahul Dravid is laying emphasis on strengthening the slip cordon in India’s preparatory camp at the VCA Stadium (Civil Lines) in Nagpur ahead of the series.

“The fielding side of things is really important. The close-in catching, we think, is going to become a really important part of the series,” Dravid said in a video posted on bcci.tv.

“There’s a lot of focus on close-in catching, slip fielding and things like that when you are on the road all the time and don’t get enough time to build and work on those aspects.

“We’ve had a couple of really long sessions. I think it’s quite exciting as a coaching staff member because you don’t actually get times like this due to the amount of cricket we play.

“You don’t actually get time for a camp or an extended period of time where you get to work with players and build up to a Test series. Just to be able to get this week has been really exciting for us and we, as the coaching staff, have been planning and preparing for this for almost a month or so on what we will do in these four-five days,” Dravid elaborated.

Though this camp has been a short one by Dravid’s standards, it still has been “fruitful”. “Hopefully, two or three days more into the Test and then we can take it from there,” Dravid said.