Suresh Raina will be part of process, says Team India's fielding coach R Sridhar

There is that unmistakable correlation between fitness and fielding, but R Sridhar was around yesterday to put things in perspective. "I wouldn't like to comment on Suresh Raina (exclusion) but once he is through with the fitness parameters I'm sure he will be very much a part of the whole process," Team India's fielding coach said at the media interaction yesterday. With the team management putting a stringent fitness philosophy at the core of their efforts to reach the next level, even top fielders like Raina and Yuvraj Singh find themselves out of favour. "The fitter the player, the better the results are on the field. A stunning diving catch to someone who is not fit may be an easy one for someone who is. Or, running three (successive) threes may be easy for the player who is fit but may it may be a three and two twos for someone who isn't. All these add up in the end," he remarked.

Suresh Raina

Sridhar is working to make Team India the best fielding side in the world. "What we are doing (to get there) is not any magic trick. The formula is very simple - the more you practice the better you get. Fielding is a controllable skill, unlike bowling and batting, so we work hard on the things we can control." The wicket at the Eden Gardens for the first Test against Sri Lanka presents a simulation of conditions India are expected to encounter in South Africa early next year.