Australia v India, 2015: Darren Lehmann blames fielding issues on lack of confidence

AUSTRALIA is in shocking fielding form a month out from the World Cup and coach Darren Lehmann admits it’s become a confidence issue.

Steve Smith drops a catch from Lokesh Rahul after an issue with spidercam during Day3 of the Test Match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground .Picture Gregg Porteous

CATCHES win matches, and they most certainly win World Cups.

Australia is in shocking fielding form a month out from the showpiece tournament on home soil and coach Darren Lehmann admits it’s become a confidence issue.

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For a side that has prided itself on setting the benchmark — and a high one at that — for fielding standards in world cricket, Australia have been on a worrying slippery slope since the disastrous tour of the UAE against Pakistan.

Eleven catches were grassed in that forgettable two-match whitewash in the desert, and bad habits have proven tough to break back on home soil.

Joe Burns fails to reach a chance off the bat of Ajinkya Rahane. Pic Mark Evans.

There’s been average moments in every match, but no worse than the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne when four catches were squandered as well as a botched run-out.

On day three at the SCG, captain Steve Smith spilt two catches, and Pat Cummins missed a run-out opportunity that was served on a platter.

All the missed chances were costly as India took the points on day three, finishing 5-342 at stumps.

Opener was on 41 when he slipped over mid-pitch and still made it back to his crease at the nonstriker’s end, and 46 when Smith couldn’t deal with the sun and spider cam and put him down.

Virat Kohli sends a ball towards Steve Smith who dropped the catch. Pic Mark Evans

He went on to make 110.

Virat Kohli was 59 when he edged the new ball off Mitchell Starc straight through Smith’s fingers at second slip.

At stumps he was 140 not out.

Lehmann says the drops haven’t been for lack of effort — revealing he and fielding coach Greg Blewett have been flogging the players at training.

Overcoming the endemic remains a riddle Australia’s coaching staff must solve before the World Cup kicks off on February 14 — given the ODI side will be formed mostly by Test stars.

“You need to make sure you’re taking those chances and we haven’t as yet,” said Lehmann.

“We’ll just keep training hard. They’ve got sore hands at the moment the boys, so maybe we’ll lighten off the fielding a little bit.

“It’s just a confidence thing I’m sure. It’s certainly not skill level or concentration.

“It’s maybe the confidence to take the ball.”

To see two go down from Smith was a surprise — albeit one spidercam assisted — given the skipper normally possesses a safe pair of hands.

There was a time when any nick to an Australian slip cordon would be snapped up by a Waugh, a Warne, a Ponting or a Clarke.

Now it’s a lottery.

And World Cups aren’t won by luck.

MISSED CHANCES

43.5 overs: Lokesh Rahul on 41 was almost run out at the bowler’s end after a mix-up with batting partner Virat Kohli. Substitute fielder Pat Cummins threw the ball back to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin rather than hurling it straight to the nonstriker’s end. Skipper Steve Smith put his hands on his hips in the teapot stance to indicate his disappointment at Cummins’ lack of match awareness and urgency.

52.5: Rahul top-edged a pull shot off the bowling of Shane Watson and was dropped on 46 by Smith in slips. Smith held his hand up as if he was looking into the sun but was also seen to mouth a complaint about the “f---ing wire” which was a reference to the spidercam overhead camera.

82.1: Kohli was dropped on 59 by Smith who grassed a headhigh chance at second slip in the third over with the second new ball. Mitchell Starc was the unlucky bowler.

93.1: Joe Burns at short leg was a little slow to move, lunging at a difficult low chance off the bat of Ajinkya Rahane on eight against the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon.