Sridhar set to return as India fielding coach

R Sridhar is set to return as India's fielding coach for the three-Test series against New Zealand. Sources confirmed Sridhar, who is currently in Australia with the India A team, will replace Abhay Sharma, and join the team in Kanpur for the first Test. The details of his contract, however, are understood to not have been finalised yet.

It is learnt India coach Anil Kumble was keen on re-appointing Sridhar, whose contract came to an end in April after the World T20. "Kumble contacted Sridhar immediately after he took over as coach and advised him to wait till he came back from the West Indies and took a call [on Sridhar's appointment]," a source familiar with the developments told ESPNcricinfo. "The BCCI sent an e-mail to the India A team manager late last evening asking Sridhar to report in Kanpur ahead of the first Test. Sridhar might have to leave midway through the second four-day Test between India A and Australia A from September 15 to 18."

While Abhay travelled with the team for the Zimbabwe and West Indies tours in a stop-gap capacity, BCCI president Anurag Thakur had said full-time appointments would be made before September 15. Sanjay Bangar, who went on both the tours, will continue as batting coach, while no bowling coach is expected to be appointed at least until the end of the New Zealand series.

Sridhar and Bangar had begun their first stints as assistant coaches to Ravi Shastri, who was brought in as team director, during the limited-overs leg of the England tour in August 2014 after India had lost the Test series. Their contracts were first extended until the end of the World Cup in 2015, before they were renewed till the end of the World T20 the following year.