Asia Cup: Dubai’s ‘ring of fire’ poses a challenge, says India’s fielding coach

India are tailoring their fielding drills to cope with the unconventional floodlight system at Dubai International Stadium, where lights are mounted on the circular roof rather than traditional poles, fielding coach T. Dilip said.

“One of the challenges we encounter in Dubai Stadium is the lights are slightly different. It’s more of a ring of fire … rather than on the poles, which we usually come across,” Dilip said in a video posted by the BCCI on X.

He said the biggest difficulty comes when outfielders attempt catches against the floodlights. “The challenge in the ring of fire is especially on outfield boundary line catches. There is a tendency that you lose sight of the ball for a split second, especially when the ball is travelling through that.”

Dilip added that Dubai’s humidity also affects play. “It’s all about how players are switched on at that particular moment and how they respond … considering the humidity in Dubai and especially in T20 which is very high-intense,” he said.

The fielding coach explained that practice sessions include variable drills to help players adjust. “As soon as you don’t see the ball for a split second you tend to panic. What we try to do is add variable practices … players realise that even if you lose a split second in the light, you still have a lot of time.”

India, who have won both of their opening matches, have secured a place in the Super Four stage and will face Oman in their final group game in Abu Dhabi on Friday.