5 unorthodox fielding positions set by different captains that resulted in a wicket

Like unorthodox batting stances of batsmen and unorthodox bowling actions of bowlers in cricket, there were many instances that we have seen unorthodox fielding placements from captains.Also read: Cricket Fielding Positions:The origins of field placement names in cricketIt is one of the tacticsthat most captains of modern cricket have used to get set batsmen out. However, these tactics aren't completely failure-proof. They sometimes work and the captain is praised for it, but when they backfire, the captain is forced to bear the brunt of the backlash.Here are five instances when unorthodox fielding positions set by different captains, has actually resulted in a wicket and went on to earn those captains plenty of praise for their inventive thinking.

#1 MS Dhoni\'s use of leg slip

Master stroke from MS Dhoni to remove Steven Smith

Match – 3rd Test between India and Australia at Melbourne from 26-30 December 2014

MS Dhoni is known for doing special and different things on the field. In particular, he was known for his weird field placements. MS Dhoni has constantly used a leg slip. Many times, he has asked his spinners, especially Harbhajan and Ashwin to bowl into the rough outside the leg, to try and get the batsmen to flick it to leg slip.

Many commentators and experts scratched their heads over Dhoni’s absurd field placing, but he didn’t care and stuck to his own plans. And guess what? At times, it did work!

Exactly, here is an incident when he used a leg slip formula against Steven Smith with a fast bowler and caught Smith at leg slip. Ajinkya Rahane was the fielder there and he grabbed the catch of Steven Smith when Smith was going strong with Chris Rogers in the 2nd innings of a Test match but it was Dhoni’s plan to trap Smith and it worked and India had successfully removed Steven Smith on 14.

#2 Rahul Dravid\'s use of short cover point

Kamran Akmal was fooled by Rahul Dravid

Match – 4th ODI match between India and Pakistan at Multan on 16 February 2006.

In this match, India were bowling first and the ball was swinging. Kamran Akmal was batting well playing his shots. Dravid asked Raina to field at the short point position as he was the among the best fielders in the team.

Irfan Pathan bowled the next ball outside the off stump. Akmal went with his cut shot which he again played in the air. Raina took a brilliant catch to execute the plan. Raina ran towards Dravid with smiles on his face. They knew their plan has worked.

This plan had worked because Dravid capitalised on Akmal's weakness, which was his tendency to cut the ball in the air. Dravid knew this and perfectly placed a fielder at short point, thereby showing once again how adept he is, at analysing the game.

#3 MS Dhoni\'s use of straight mid off

MS Dhoni knows Kieron Pollard’s hitting areas and it was an example of that

Match – Final Match of IPL 2010 between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on 25 April 2010.

This is the second time MS Dhoni finds a place on this list and it shows just how frequently he has set innovative and weird fields. Sourav Ganguly once remarked that “once Dhoni retires, he should write a book on field placements.” And how true that is.

Coming back to this incident, it was the final match of IPL 2010 between CSK and MI. Mumbai was cruising towards victory and Pollard was batting well and he had smashed 22 runs in the over before Dhoni’s brilliant move in the field.

Mumbai needed 33 runs in 12 balls, but it was not an impossible task, particularly as Pollard was hitting big. In the 19th over, Dhoni placed Matthew Hayden at mid-off but it was not a normal mid-off position, but at a straighter mid-off. As Albie Morkel delivered, Pollard played a straight shot that went right into the hands of Hayden, who took it with ease.

Chennai Super Kings managed to go on and win the IPL 2010 final and it was MS Dhoni’s masterstroke in the field that helped Chennai win that final match against Mumbai.

#4 Mike Brearley\'s theory of seven fielders on leg side

John Emburey helped England bundle Australia out for 111

Match – 4th Test match between Australia and England at Sydney from 6-11 January 1979.

In the Sydney Test of the 1978-79 series, Australia needed just 205 to win, in the 4th innings and defeat was staring England in the face but English captain Mike Brearley became a little creative with his field placement when spinners Geoff Miller and John Emburey came on to bowl.

He had put just 2 fielders on the off-side – silly point and mid-off. The other 7 fielders were all placed on the leg-side, as England set out to frustrate the Aussie batsmen with defensive bowling.

Surprisingly, it worked, as Australia were all out for 111 runs, and Emburey and Miller picked up four and three wickets, respectively and the plan of Mike Brearley worked successfully and that was probably the first time when seven fielders had been put on the leg side.

#5 Greg Chappell\'s use of nine slips

Greg Chappell’s move gave cricket a new direction

Match – 1st Test match between Australia and New Zealand at Auckland from 25-28 February and 1st March 1977.

The 9 slip cordon field (maximum possible in cricket) is a very rare occurrence. The last time this happened was in an ODI series between Australia and Zimbabwe on 23rd October 1999, but that day Steve Waugh's Australia didn't get a wicket.

But he wasn't the first Australian captain to use that theory, in fact, it was first employed by Greg Chappell against New Zealand’s number 11 batsman Peter Petherick. Dennis Lillee was the bowler and the pressure created resulted in Petherick edged an innocuous ball down the leg side to keeper Rod Marsh.