CHENNAI: A week after India pulled-off an amazing chase at the Gabba to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, batting coach Vikram Rathour spoke to TNIE about the batting unit. Excerpts:
How do you sum up the batting unit since you took over?
It has been a gradual process. We have always had a strong batting unit. I was taking my time initially, getting know to the players. Although I knew all of them, as a coach you still need to know their temperament. It is still evolving, some work is being put in it as to how some batsmen work. People respond to different situations in different ways. Even this series has proved the bench strength is good.
There has been a lot of shuffling at the top. Where does it leave India with?
Rohit (Sharma) and (Shubman) Gill have done well and they should continue and we have Mayank Agarwal waiting. He has done incredibly well, especially at home. Mayank is someone who can play for India for a long time. Then we have Prithvi Shaw, a very talented cricketer. He had a poor run which can happen to a young cricketer. Hopefully, he is working hard on his technique and I'm sure he will make a strong comeback. Opening wise we are in good hands because we also have someone like KL Rahul.
Agarwal scored plenty of runs. How hard was it to drop him? Did it happen because of form or the conditions or all put together?
Lot of it actually. He is someone who works hard on his game and has contributed a lot to the team till recently. It was a hard decision for the team management. Though you would like to back a player, sometimes you need to go by form and Gill was showing it. He had the game and skill to deal with the conditions we were playing in. As a batting coach, having worked with him for a while, you do feel empathy for a player because Mayank is someone who puts a lot of effort at the nets. But that is how life is. I'd a long chat with him and told him where the team management decision comes from. He took it in good spirits and he got an opportunity in the last Test.
For batsmen who play only one format, does continuity become an issue because of long gaps? Do you tread cautiously with regards to judging their performances?
It is hard. When you are playing one format and there is a gap, it is not easy to stay fit and maintain form. Unfortunately, that is how it is in today's world. Cricket is the only sport where you are playing three different formats. Even other teams have different players for different formats so this is something the batsmen have to deal with it. They have to find ways.
Rahul and Mayank have improved their limited-overs game to a great extent. Has it loosened their technique for Tests?
I don't think so. This generation is used to it. It is not something they are doing now. Somebody like Mayank, you say he has improved his game now, but if you look at it even four-five years back, he had a good limited-overs record. It is not like they started playing this now. This generation is blessed to have this adaptability.
How much is Cheteshwar Pujara important to this batting line-up?
Extremely important. I don't think there is anyone who can do the job he does. He is solid, blunts out the fast bowlers and on tours like Australia, his contributions are so vital to the team.
There is so much talk about his strike-rate. Does he come to you guys and talk about these noises from outside?
No, never. It is just the media. I don't recall me or anyone from the team management having a discussion about it. We are happy with the job he is doing. Pujara is someone who starts to score runs quickly ones he crosses a century. He converts them into big ones and he ensures even the strike-rate is taken care of. On this tour, unfortunately, he has been getting out after getting 40s and 50s. But again whatever innings he played, it was invaluable. To bat against a really good bowling unit, he ensured that he held on to one end and we didn't lose wickets. When he is there we are not worried about it as he brings stability at the top of the order.
Ajinkya Rahane was in a bad patch which lasted for about two years. Since the Caribbean tour, he looks a different batsman. What has changed?
From the time I joined he has been working hard. He is a very committed player, who knows his game and he also works on different aspects. Form is temporary and he went through a phase every cricketer goes through. That is the secret of good players. When they come back, they are stronger than they were. He has great routines. He can change his game very quickly. He can be defensive or even get aggressive without changing his game. That works perfectly because the flexibility is something you expect in the middle-order.
How is Rohit developing as an opener? He got out at Brisbane after being set. Has he been given the license to play with freedom?
Not only Rohit. Everyone in the teams is supposed to back their game and play. For me, batting is about scoring runs and getting the job done. The important thing is you need to study the situation and play accordingly to the opposition and condition. And back your game to score runs. He is someone who takes the bowlers on and in doing that there will be mistakes here and there. You need to accept those and be ready for it. When he makes mistakes, he analyses those. But definitely, he's working on being consistent and converting the starts into big 100s.
After Adelaide, did the batting unit approach you for changes? Because they hardly did anything wrong...
It was a freak session. So the message was we don't need to change anything. I agree with you, I don't think we did anything wrong. They bowled some superb deliveries and everything found the edge and everything was caught. We told them to try and not change anything and back the preparation.
This Australian attack was one of the best of all times. As a batting unit, how do you unsettle them? Was batting long and tiring them was the best option?
They bowled exceptionally well. (Pat) Cummins right through the series was consistent and he hardly bowled a bad ball. Against such an attack, you need to be disciplined and have a lot of intent. Whenever there is a scoring opportunity, you need to score. You need to pick the right bowlers. Someone like (Mitchell) Starc gave us opportunities to score runs. Nathan Lyon too bowled well, but we had a good plan against him. Against a good attack, you need to bat through the spells. The relentless line that Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were bowling, you need to play them through and wait for a different bowler.
How is it for you to watch Rishabh Pant bat?
I actually enjoy watching him. He has his own game and method. The only conversation we have been having with him is he needs to pick the right balls to go after. We don't want him to stop playing shots. Because it is what makes him so special. But you need to pick the right balls and areas to score them. He has shown in Sydney and Brisbane that he is getting better and with time he will understand more. He learned from Sydney and finished the game in Brisbane.
You had mentioned about him being careless. Did sitting out help him?
I have read that quote many times now. If you look at it fully, I meant it for all the youngsters. It was not just for him. I still believe he is a fearless cricketer and a bit of discipline and method will make him even better.
How has Gill taken to Test cricket?
I have been working for a year now. From the time he came in whether with India A or now, he has looked very special. Lot of ability and he shows maturity. A very intelligent cricketer I would say. He is someone who will be playing all three formats and those are the expectations from him. He showed why people rate him so highly. The innings he played in Brisbane was exceptional for someone of his age.
Where do you want this batting unit to grow?
At the moment, the focus is on opening partnership. We haven't done well as partnerships. The last series where we had back-to-back 70-plus runs... something we had after a long time. Last six years in SENA countries our highest has been 63, which is an area we definitely need to improve upon. The other area of concern is the lower order. We did well this tour, but it needs improvement. We are trying to ensure the bowlers get enough time at the nets. We need a tail that bats better. These are the two areas we are working on. The middle-order is solid and settled. (Ravindra) Jadeja's emergence as a batsman has only strengthened it further.