High time India considers specialist in gully position: Sanjay Bangar

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has emphasised the need for India to deploy a specialist fielder in the gully position, highlighting it as a crucial area where many catches are offered. The comment comes after India dropped multiple chances in the slip cordon in the series opener at Headingley, with Yashasvi Jaiswal facing heavy criticism for the missed opportunities.

Bangar pointed out that not many players have consistently excelled in the gully position over the years. He recalled that Anil Kumble, who initially performed well there, and Ajinkya Rahane, who later made the position his own with sharp reflexes, have been the only two safe options in his memory.

“It’s very important to not drop catches. It makes the job of the bowling department that much tougher. But here I would say that this is also a fresh step forward for India. And wherever Yashasvi actually fields—basically, gully is a position in cricket which is a very, very specialized position. And that's where I think India will have to invest in a particular player to master the catching part in the gully area,” Bangar said on the show ‘Follow the Blues’.

"Because I don't really remember too many great players who were consistently staying in the gully area. In my memory, Anil Kumble did that really well for India when he was playing. Ajinkya Rahane made that spot his own. But after that, there has to be real focus on developing a good gully fielder. Because that's where a lot of catches go,” he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator further pointed out that the gully position should be held by the best fielder in the team. He stressed that the responsibility should ideally be taken up by a seasoned slip catcher, someone who has consistently held that position over a long period of time.

“And it's a position that should actually go to your best fielder. As we say that the point fielder has to be your best fielder. But your best catcher actually has to be slightly wider in the slip cordon—maybe that four-slip area or even the gully region. And that's where a lot of those catches go. And it's high time that India thinks of putting a specialist there. And maybe that responsibility will have to be taken by somebody who's done the role of slip catcher for a long, long period of time,” Bangar concluded.