November 30, 2025 • 34 mins
Former Indian cricket coach international cricketer L. Balaji joins The Indian Express' Mihir Vasavda and Venkata Krishna B to analyse India's 2-0 series loss against South Africa, the concerns in the pace-bowling department and why, despite the defeat, there's no need to panic.
Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed Suresh Pawar
Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed Suresh Pawar
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello, and welcome to Express Sports podcast. You're listening to
Game Time with Mimihi Vasavada. Are in house cricket expert
Venkat Krishna b is joining us today, So I guess
there are little guesses that what we'll be talking about
it will be the India South Africa Test Series and
India's two zero humbling at home, a series defeat.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yet another series defeat, we must say.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
But luckily for you guys, Nkott and I aren't the
only ones you'd be listening to, because we have a
very special guest today joining us all the way from Chennai,
someone who's experienced what it is like to play in
a high pressure situation at home and away. Someone who's
been on both sides of the game as a player,
(00:48):
as the commentator and as a coach as well. Now,
Luxhmi Pati Bilogy, it's an honor to have you here.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Thanks me, Thanks Yeah, it is indeed honor for me
also to join this wonderful podcast and looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Well, one thing we were looking forward to is have
a good conversation about possible India series or whatever. Blox me,
how tough was it? To watch an Indian team lose
once again at home.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
See to be honest, yes, any home series because historically
we've been very very strong unit when it comes to
our own performance in our own backyard, like that is
our home condition, because most of the cricketing history tells
us like no matter what pays spin speed against the
(01:37):
star studded teams, we never ever lost this kind of
home advantage in the history. A couple of times it
has happened, I mean very rarely it normally happens. But yes,
it is something which is like worrying more than I've
been shocked or anything. It is worrying the way like no,
we play our red ball cricket. So it is something
(02:00):
which I think there needs to be some kind of
like you know, you start working for the future, so
something which you need to start now, because this is
a wake up ball where our red ball cricket is heading.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
And definitely yes, it is kind.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Of start of something which we can really think of
building for the future.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
But just want to come in here, like we spoke
about like coming this current South Africa series. Yes, the
spinners had a huge role to play, but in the era,
the previous era of dominance. Between say twenty twelve to
end of twenty twenty two, we had like sort of
a very good fast bowling core as well, which did
perform really well in home conditions. The last time South
(02:43):
as carea here, it was a fast bowlers who did
most of the damage. So is this like a scenario
where it is like we are relaying too much on
spinners because we are not having a good pool of
fast ballers.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Bology see the last fast bowling face like not a
good fast bowling unit since SAE early two thousand or
mid nineties, the fast bowling contingents like Nostrina set the tone.
Anxiety took over and a lot of players took up
pass bowling as a go to option in red ball
cricket because previously it used to be not many will
(03:15):
aspire to become a fast bowler. But slowly that trend
has happened in mid nineties and very good phases of
early two thousand because some of the series where fast
bowlers overseas and Indian conditions were unmatched, they were able
to produce some super spells and that inspired many youngsters.
So I feel like the last core crop of pass
(03:38):
bowlers which came around ten years back, like say Boomra,
say Momuchmi Seyha, those are the last ones. If you
take a new set of Siraj is the one who recently,
like five six years back he made his debut. But
apart from that, yes, the fast bowling has dropped a
bit past bowling department in Indian condition, especially looking at
(04:01):
our resources, it has dropped a bit because that is
one of the major factors when it comes to see
Yes we add superb quality spinners in the past and
always we use to rely on spinners, but modern day
cricket with a lot of overseas cricketers getting a lot
of exposure and sub continent kind of wicked, where like no,
(04:23):
there needs to be a support for both the department
both the aspect of the game when it comes to bowling.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So I feel in.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
That we little lost the plot of like developing a
fast bowling unit, which we need to identify and get
it very soon because otherwise it'll be like you know,
we will be searching because.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
You cannot bowl a new ball.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
With spin, you cannot bowl a new ball with a
medium pacer. Yes, there are like a lot of talks
about wickets and everything but apart from wicket, the cricket
has to be looked at very clean without any condition
in place.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What are you required to do?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
A two sets of pass bowlers and then you need
a set of spinners, and then you need a core
of batting and then you have a wonderful like you know,
a good safe catching version. So all these things need
to be looked at. I think fast bowling makes a
huge influence. We are a little bit slide down in
that one particular department of bowling where fast bowling was
key in bringing in we had Ashwin and Jadeja was
(05:23):
doing major kind of the influence when it comes to
a bowling department. But they were like good support from
the pass bowlers be it Shan Chami, Boomra in the pace,
they all contributed. I think that contribution has a little
bit gone.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Down a bit.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Then you surprise that given his recent form that Chammi,
somebody like Chammi wasn't sort of made part of this
series because we saw in both beat in Calcutta or
in Goharti you had like South African fastballers also where
among the vickers they even match the spinners Bullergy in
the series which unfortunately Indian seamers. Yes, Booma did it
the first innings, but beyond that, fastballers couldn't do much
(06:03):
for India.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, of course, yes, apart from Boomra And there is
hardly any fast bowler mean which we rely on as
a strike bowler. So if you'll take Boomera as an
exceptional who has been amongst the wickets and every now
one day and Siraj has done well. But what exactly
has happened is a bit of like you know, a
(06:25):
consistency when it comes to supporting the spin department compared
to opposition.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Knowing exactly where to bowl.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And I remember a lot of fast bowlers used to
come to subcontinent tools with a lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Plans, but nothing has been established as a successful kind
of game.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Many great bowlers have come to the continent to try
and disturb our batting lineup, but nothing has happened in
the past. But recent past we are getting out a
lot of the fast bowler that is contrasting out the overseas.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Fast bowlers are learning a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
From the exposure which they are getting through i PL
and getting through a lot of leagues which has been
happening in subcontinent and they're slowly acclimatizing to the lens
because lens are very important when it comes to sub
continent because normally you don't get that much of assistance
when it comes to steam movement and when it comes
(07:17):
to swings, but lens are the go to option for
a fast bowler.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Slowly we get to see a lot of fastballers.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Performing in subpontin and condition, like say the previous series
which we lost against New Zealand. Also Willarooka was someone
who produced a spell and they're well supported by Tim
Saudi and everything they all have.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
You know, started identifying the.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Lens which required to bowl against the best batting lineup
which you used to have right now, Yes, there is
a bit of worry that fast bowlers have not stepped.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Up to the expectation. It is overly dependent.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
On Boomera Boomra performs and team performs invariably. But yes,
there is a need of our for fast bowlers need
to be developed in our country.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, that's too many interesting talking points you mentioned and
right from the first chance, so that you gave about
the concerns. So how India is playing red ball cricket
to the situation with the fast polos. Now, if you
go back to the first thing that you said, right,
the concerns about red ball cricket, and how do you
kind of, you know, make sense of what has happened
(08:20):
over the last twelve months where India first lose to
New Zealand, then they go to England and play this
craziest series that we've seen in a very very long time,
not just involving India but also you know, any other
test playing nations. Then you come back home again and
it's the same story all over again which we saw
against New Zealand. So this fluctuation of performance, is it
(08:41):
purely because of the conditions or is it more to
it than that?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I feel see look at the last fifteen years itself,
like slowly the best crop of players come from the
later stage of two thousand, like two eight, nine, ten,
eleven to alve So when it comes to a good, solid, batting,
performing kind of a players who loves to play red
ball cricket, who loves to stay at the crease for
(09:05):
a longer period of time, the pedigree of spending long
hours in kind of encourages the player to produces a
maximum out of the skill. I think it has been happening.
It has been happening without our kind of knowledge, where
slowly individual performances were you know, a little bit camouflage
that kind of drop in red bull cricket importance overall
(09:28):
when you see red ball cricket importance which we used
to produce a lot of cricketers from iconic cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka,
Bangalore and Sennai, Calcutta, all these iconic cities which used
to produce a lot of cricketers with long hours of
spending the kind of they normally do because of the
(09:49):
system which helped them in the past, with so.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Much of exposure in those cities and so much of
histories in the cities.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
But in the reason why is I feel the cricketers
from the MiG big metros like Bombay, like Delhi, Karnataka
tad at certain level at least for no different level
where they used to compete the good cricketers.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And the very good.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Student of the games knows exactly the nuance senses knows
exactly how to put the rd yards on a duration game,
especially four day and five day cricket, when a lot
of history behind and a lot of no education in
their primary phases of their career. So I think slowly
that has diminished a bit, and that particular phases where
(10:36):
we produce a lot of cricketers from these particular cities
have gone down.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
But smaller towns started performing really well.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
If you look at Randy Trophy red ball in the
last fifteen years, the amount of time like a state
like Saurashtra, state like state like Madha and Rajasthan produced
good red ball results compared to the cities were very
well built for infrastructure and the system in place for
(11:03):
games on red ball cricket have already been a bit
of change happened because these smaller states have developed a
lot of stuff and they are the one who's producing
red ball results if you look at it. But majorities
of the players who made their debut before twenty fifteen
were from the big cities.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Right in the.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Last ten years, I feel a lot of cricketers have
transformed into more of limited over kind of influence.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I've gone in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
More of players were, like you know, started developing skill
sets which is more likely suited for the limited overs.
But I always believe the fifty over format played a
huge part in our development as a white ball cricket
because it is in between format where it is closer
to the duration format, which is test cricket. So the
(11:54):
twenty twenty actually what it does is it doesn't actually
allow the kind of guys who likes to play the
long hours of the game, like bowling long spells of
the game, batting long hours of the game. It totally
took away one major part where cricketers were actually learning
from the sport.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
I mean, how do you call a good student of
the game.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Normally you spend hours and hours in that particular field
to understand the crafts, understand the demands and at a
very young age you navigate yourself from a tough situation
to a best situation and taking the team through a
long side with your kind of you know, long hours.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Spending like that produces a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Of cricketers who are good at.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Red ball cricket.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
But what it happened in recent past is the shift
has happened. The guys who are actually playing good red
ball cricket are from two tire cities and kind of
state where less amount of time is given to the
I mean the infrastructure by Saurastra and Witherba for a
particular example, Madya, Pradesh and Rajasthan, all these places where
(13:02):
they just started developing red ball cricketers.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But if you look at it, it is one.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Way where we have to really think why this has
been happening. That is because the cricketers don't have anything
else to fall back. They only have red ball cricket.
They only have a longer duration to focus.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So that is a way.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Like you, no, our domestic system is functioning right now,
but internationally our schedules are like that. Like when you
play Test cricket, it has always been a mixed and
match with some white ball tournament which comes before or later,
be it any white ball tournament. We don't have a
complete season where like red ball translates a cricketer to
a white ball I mean the Test arena. So normally
(13:43):
what happens is our schedule has been like that where
red ball is actually sandwiched between white ball.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
But when you guys played, you guys should all format players, right,
I mean, it wasn't that you'll only play ten twenty.
I understand workload and all is a question now, but
you guys were trained and prepared to play all formats
of the game may be less of T twenty because
it was a fewer T twenty's back. Then, can we
say that one of the I don't know if downsides
is the right word, but one of the factors of
(14:11):
the sport, especially after the rise of T twenty and
the way it's spread all over India. We talk about,
you know, one of the many smaller centers coming into
picture and having their moment under the sun. Has it
led to a scenario where it is T twenty cricket,
which is more popular there, and you have players who
are trained to even you know, not leave outside the
(14:33):
off stump balls and go for it or you know,
just go for a slock seed when it's not required
that patients required that that's taught from a very young age.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That's not there?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Is that the case where the training from a very
young age is different?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Now, see, we were lucky, our generation were lucky we
had a format like fifty over, which is closer to
our duration games like that is like closer to a
first class or a test game like normally like no,
you grind and grind us will have the time to
abide to develop your innings. And still hundreds are very frequent.
(15:06):
You know exactly how to shape your hundreds. You know
exactly how to produce a five week all or a
three weekt all or a four week at all. But
I will not blame the cricketers now, I will not
blame the format. Introduction of new format is fantastic because
it gives a lot of cricketers the opportunity to try
out a kind of sport where they are willing to
(15:26):
try out now from the districts to very economically down
background where they still have the economical background which helps
the format which has been introduced. The scouts have been
great and the introduction of T twenty IPL has been
great for cricket overall. But what actually I feel which
actually didn't rise the way it should have rised. It
(15:50):
is one way, when you look at it, we are
producing amazing kind of talent which is like more white
ball suited. Actually, if you look at it the red
cricket where we are not producing the talent which which
is on and off, which used to happen like long
hours of players like Roald Dravid and Pujara where they
(16:10):
defend and defend.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
And grind innings.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
They make opposition dryout with their patience, determination and the
kind of quality which red ball was more suited to
that game. You cannot take it to a white ball
cricket in a developing age. Is there anything where there
is a roadmap, there is a pathway? Is there any
pathway for a red ball cricket who plays that kind
(16:33):
of innings? Because that kind of like no players like
to bowl a lot like no previous generation likes like Zai,
like Anil Kumle, like Ashwin, all enjoyed bowling twenty five
to thirty hours.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Where do this kid will enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Nowadays you're actually looked at visibly or your reputation goes
I when you try out different varieties of balls. That
is not the case when we started, at least till
two thousand ten or twenty twelve, because the cricketers who
were coming from all these players were started to enjoy
more of long hours of bowling, long hours of batting.
(17:10):
But at the moment what is happening is it is
more becoming one dimensional. We are actually losing the plot
on the other important format which used to produce a
lot of cricketers, which we are slowly losing it because
it has not happened today, which has not happened because
of this last two sless series.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It has been happening for a while, but it has
not highlighted.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
As this because the players who were like the previous
generation were kept that game intact, like jin Karan, like
rout Shema Collin knows exactly how to balance the two
formats of the game, three four wards of the game.
And the players who were in skill sets actually it
didn't affect them that much as the current day modern
(17:53):
day cricketers. It is going to affect or it is
affecting right now because I feel there needs to be
a kind of separate planning, our separate economics, separate influence
the red ball cricket to develop, because I think it
is high time for a young cricketer to like the
red ball sport. It is not like, no, there is
(18:15):
some when I get to hear I wanted to bowl
with a white ball but are very youngaged. I wanted
to play under lights that are very youngaged. It is
not making a young cricketer to develop the art of learning.
It is not actually allowing the end cricketer to art
of going through the craft the way the craft demands,
the time demands the hours to develop. So all these
(18:38):
mentally and physically I'm saying, I'm saying skillfully as well
as your demands of the game, which is like intact,
you still play six hour sport. You still play the
five day duration or a T twenty duration or a
fifty oerd duration game, which is still happening. It is
good that all formats giving a lot of opportunities to
the players, but I also want to see how much
(19:00):
importance is given to the red ball cricket be starting
from all across.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
The pioneers of the game.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
All across the stakeholders of the game, needs to have
a kind of conversation how do we do it, How
do we develop the engster mind into going into that
kind of hours which it requires, because nowadays it's all
becoming very fast. Everyone wants results very fast. Nobody wants
to wait for some time. Nobody wants to grind hours
and hours to develop a skill set. But at the
(19:29):
moment we are in between sandwich between.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
A time and the result.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Both were in between sandwiched which went to choose Nobody
actually as addressed it.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
It's just fun to mention here you mentioned about this
entire how the culture has changed now given the results
in the reason past, it doesn't look like it's going
to be like India are going to like it take
a long time for them to get back to the
top spot. You have seen you have coached in the
domestic circuit as well in the recent past. So when
people we always called for like why don't you bring
(20:00):
title specialists, As the time has come, probably India should
also look at reintball specialists. This is the need of
the heart rather than looking all format players.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I think it will come.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
It will definitely going to come because it has come
to a stage.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Where, like you know, you normally have.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To start from at the state level where it needs
to start, because the supply chain is state level cricket
for the Indian cricket overall, it is not only franchising cricket.
Francising cricket is of course good for the talent to
be identified and performance, and you know, it is good
for the viewers to get connected to the game as
well as some extraordinary talents and established talents fighting.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Rubbing shoulder to shoulder.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But where it normally actually makes the change is the
root level, I mean, your structure of every straight need.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So because other.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
States have red ball contract like say in Australia or England,
where the economics are not so much is an issue
where they get a supply out of that contract system
from the county system.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I mean at least that is taking care.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
But in state level, in state level, if you start segregate,
you are cricketers as this is a person who's going
to give me a red ball kind of career or
a red ball kind of a performance for my state.
So that is how it is ingrained. I mean slowly,
all the importance from the state level will invariably.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Filter us out.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
The best out of the system will come out, not
only through IPL. Right now our system is identifying cricketers
through IPL more previously it used to be identifying cricketers
through tournaments. Some of the tournaments are.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Very key in developing a lot of cricketers.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Like all these tournaments are losing their SENE and there
needs to be a particular place like where like red
ball system, a red ball coaching system, a red ball
development system, parameters needs to be given separately where they
can develop because otherwise it is going to be very late.
Because I see a means nowadays run on like you
(22:01):
know the kids and parents comes with the mindset of like, no,
I want to become a T twenty player, I want
to develop as a teetwny because visibility is more because
of the easy access to play international cricket is I
will not say easy access is much expressed avenue, But
what is there for a redball cricketer to make an
encouraging cut where like, yes, there are the results the
(22:25):
way somebody likes it.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
This is the way somebody loves to play.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
So all these cricketers will be filled out and they
will be developed as a redball cricketer in the future.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Well, from here, where does Indian Test team would you
like to see travel? Because there has been a lot
of chopun changing naturally because of the results, because of
combination changes. How do you see it going Because you're
being a coach as where it does like this chop
and changing doesn't work going forward income because we have
tough tours to streatl Anker Street Lanker be already preparing
(22:54):
turning tracks for next year. New Zealand has going to
be totally different, opposite seeming. So where do you see
India moving from here? From the series defeats it like
given com here more costings than answers over here.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
See, coaches are always there to blame because in any
sport in that matter, research actually navigates. First thing comes
to the mind is the coach needs to be changed.
And in any sport that is the case, even practical,
even sport like basketball and football, the coaches are the
one which takes a blip. But in a sport where
(23:28):
tactically is less, where influence decision making is huge, where
cricket is one sport where decision making is huge. So
of course you need to give time any coach you select.
That means you selected for the purpose of going through
the kind of okay, giving the time for them to
know meture with the team as well. The team needs
(23:48):
to mature and the coach also needs to mature together.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Then only you end up seeing research.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Probably give the time and desire and evaluate every now
and then we are just reacting for a particular phase
of the kind of performance which is invariably bringing in
all this attention from coach or the captain or normally
these are all the phases which we normally talk in
Indian cricket are in cricket in general.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So normally.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
These are the readers who normally takes decisions because that
sport demands the decisions. I feel fight test matches doesn't
decide a future of a cricketer. Fight test matches doesn't
decide a future of anybody because it is very minimal.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
When you talk about a.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Three year contract or a two year contract is hardly
what fight test matches is like, you know, twenty five
days actually your performances. I feel it's basically has to
translated to first because this is a game where, especially
test cricket, where runs are most important, then the wicket
column is important. Then the result will takes on his
(24:54):
own before runs. You have to make sure, yes, this
is the top six, which we never used to have
an issue in the previous era. Always our top six
or top five is being guaranteed they know how to
do the job. If you look at it fifteen to
twenty years every era there are players with who are
like you know, known to perform at this high level,
(25:17):
known to soak the pressure, known to evolve, i mean,
respond to the expectation. Is especially in subcontinent and the
home condition. That is not the case right now, that
is the case of like now yes, there needs to
be a proper evaluation, which should happen after two years.
I feel after two years of a coach tenure you
should take an evaluation.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But till then, what I like to see.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Is I want a proper because unlesson until there is
runs in the board, the game itself dies because irrespective
of whoever you got, the game determines by the runs.
Result determines by the number of wicket how quicker you
get the wickets, but the game pattern bat twenty, eat
fifty over beat duration, game all determines by the number
(26:05):
of runs, number of hours, minimum number of sessions, minimum
number of time you spend on the particular phases of
the game. So I feel that needs to be first addressed.
Rather than looking at other aspects. Division making should be
based on how do we get the runs on board?
How do we get the minimum records which used.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
To happen invarably.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Or on an autopilot mode in the last at least
for two three decades, which I remember, the runs at
home is never an issue runs where like no, we're.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Never an issue.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
A in a kind of cricketer is coming from any background.
Any setup invably is identified and given opportunity. At the
highest level, you are justified by the numbers. Especially you
are a better you are expected to do the numbers.
You get the numbers in place. So that is how
the game demands for you to go forward as a team.
(26:59):
Without you cannot go forward as a team, beat, as
a coach, beat, as a leader of the team, beat
all the players. Runs are the most important aspect. How
do we identify which you are not getting at the
moment in the two series, if you look at it,
we have like totally outsmarted out played by the opposition
(27:19):
on the scorecard itself. Actually it was happening before. Also
our lower order was so productive in producing and bailing
out from the situation like Ashwin Jadeja. And when we
played three many times, our lower order was bailing out
of from the situation. And you had a concrete solid
player for one format like Pujara the previous generation as Roldrabit,
(27:43):
and the reason Ajenka like no known to do the
job for ten years and of course one format bowler
where he enjoys playing the limited overs. But if your
reason was if you see we lost the plot which
was actually shouldn't have happened in the previous uh five
years back itself. The results were actually camouflaging. The lower
(28:07):
order were contributing a lot of runs role midlorder in
the sense and yes, when they're bailing out the situation
again and again, you end.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Up out playing the opposition.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
At the moment, the lower order is not doing much
as well as the batting lineup, which is not doing
the role which are defined because we get away from
the tough phases on and off in the previous players
where they know exactly how to navigate, experienced players, how
to navigate the situation. The experienced players and who marshals
the innings, like say we're at Kolia and Kujara normally
(28:39):
marshals most of the tactical from the opposition ploys.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
They're able to marshal it if they misses out.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Someone like you know, Ajin Karane and others who are
in and out of the team were able to and
if they misses out, and the middle order was so
strong the bat deep like you know, each of us
like got us out from a situation like you when
said like you know Jadeja and that's but if you
look at it, that has actually started, I mean five
(29:07):
six years back. We lost slowly, we're losing the plot
of batting out the opposition.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Yeah, and you're right because we had a good batting
line of pill number seven, number eight, and that the
symptoms are always there that you know. We've been talking
about India not being technically adapt against spin at home
conditions for a while now, and I think what happened
is we ignored those calls because some players, one or
two players kind of mass to paper those cracks and
(29:32):
now those players are not there and the problem.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Is for all to see.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
So although if we were to kind of, you know,
conclude today's top boulog, you feel that there shouldn't be
any kneej of reactions. We should just evaluate there is
still some time before India plays in next Test match
and go back to the drawing group, look at how
things are and where it can be proved and then
you know, go and play again, rather than you know,
(29:55):
taking action against coach or any particular players or anything
like that.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Do you feel that, And it doesn't fielder because being
as a coach, I have been part of a coaching
system for the last seven eight years.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
So a coach is as good as.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
The team because team performance puts the coach in the
red makes the decision even more with the conviction and
a decision making into where like you are more confident.
But unless until your core of the team has not
been able to develop that in the consistency which you
cannot address your tactical side or a decision making side
as one pillar of the roof the other pillars are
(30:31):
are we playing to our potential? Doesn't matter who overcomes
as a coach, doesn't matter who over leads the team,
doesn't matter what about the tactics the leadership groups puts
us in. Are we able to handle it for the
next two of five, six years or ten years?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Are with this crop up group? Are we in a
right direction?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
So these are the things which I feel more than
anything more than pinpointing, because.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
This comes from a system.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
This comes from proper channeling of players coming through the
ranks to do the job. Like one follows other, one
follow the suit of other. Like you know, you need
a player like Pujara, You need to have a player
like roll Ravit kind of a mode. You need to
have a player like we're in the Shavak mode also,
which actually helps.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
The team to know get out of the situation.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
It is a proper like you know, a team which
needs to be given that kind of phase. Yes, there
will be selection, but we have talent. When it comes
to talent, it's plenty. But talent alone doesn't serve the results.
I feel like you know, most important in cricket is
you have to have a strong tactically because game demands
(31:40):
instinctive decision on the field and game demands are strong
and if the guys are given opportunity should be based
on yes, we are giving opportunity. We are not going
to look at one or to matches results because that
is how you gain confidence.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Otherwise you lose trust on.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Relision makers that puts invariably for me as a player,
I will be always judged on.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
My particular day performance. I don't know if.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
That particular performance are going to be mattered for my
put because you've always been insecure. But I feel like
you know, there are a lot of signs where like no,
we were not able to convert it into performances because
the opportunities were given opportunities. Of course that nobody can
question the opportunity like Jurus, you sigh SUGGESTIONI and Washington's
(32:25):
in the in the last two series they were able
to come back into the side and you have youngsters
coming in and at the same time you have Schumu Gilias.
While all these guys are there, but is that alone
going to navigate our batting lineup or our team to
a next level.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Because we need to go to a next level. We
are right now.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Stuck and opposition and coming and surprising us because we
are a little bit sandwiched.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Between a format.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
So it's a great point, and I think it's a
good point to end to conversation because there are so
many talking points that one forty five minute conversation won't
be enough for that. So we'll see how this goes.
Some really important point you've raised here, so hopefully Creckating
think tanks so to say, we'll look into it. And
still a good six months or eight months before India
(33:17):
plays their next test MAC, so plenty of time to
kind of recover from this loss. But also the risk
of IPL coming in the way and everything looking hunky
doory once again is always there, so you'll see.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
How that goes.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
But thanks a lot again for your time, Bology. It
was a pleasure to have you here. Hopefully, first of
many and we shall be back with a new episode
of Game Time next week. Thanks again, big thanks mancut.
Speaker 6 (33:43):
You were listening to Express Borts by the Indian Express.
This week's show was edited and mixed by Soar and
produced by Meshahan Barker. If you like the show, then
do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. You
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Speaker 2 (33:58):
It's the best.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
Way for people to get to know about us. You
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us at podcasts at Indenexpress dot com.
Hello, and welcome to Express Sports podcast. You're listening to
Game Time with Mimihi Vasavada. Are in house cricket expert
Venkat Krishna b is joining us today, So I guess
there are little guesses that what we'll be talking about
it will be the India South Africa Test Series and
India's two zero humbling at home, a series defeat.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yet another series defeat, we must say.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
But luckily for you guys, Nkott and I aren't the
only ones you'd be listening to, because we have a
very special guest today joining us all the way from Chennai,
someone who's experienced what it is like to play in
a high pressure situation at home and away. Someone who's
been on both sides of the game as a player,
(00:48):
as the commentator and as a coach as well. Now,
Luxhmi Pati Bilogy, it's an honor to have you here.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Thanks me, Thanks Yeah, it is indeed honor for me
also to join this wonderful podcast and looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Well, one thing we were looking forward to is have
a good conversation about possible India series or whatever. Blox me,
how tough was it? To watch an Indian team lose
once again at home.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
See to be honest, yes, any home series because historically
we've been very very strong unit when it comes to
our own performance in our own backyard, like that is
our home condition, because most of the cricketing history tells
us like no matter what pays spin speed against the
(01:37):
star studded teams, we never ever lost this kind of
home advantage in the history. A couple of times it
has happened, I mean very rarely it normally happens. But yes,
it is something which is like worrying more than I've
been shocked or anything. It is worrying the way like no,
we play our red ball cricket. So it is something
(02:00):
which I think there needs to be some kind of
like you know, you start working for the future, so
something which you need to start now, because this is
a wake up ball where our red ball cricket is heading.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
And definitely yes, it is kind.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Of start of something which we can really think of
building for the future.
Speaker 5 (02:22):
But just want to come in here, like we spoke
about like coming this current South Africa series. Yes, the
spinners had a huge role to play, but in the era,
the previous era of dominance. Between say twenty twelve to
end of twenty twenty two, we had like sort of
a very good fast bowling core as well, which did
perform really well in home conditions. The last time South
(02:43):
as carea here, it was a fast bowlers who did
most of the damage. So is this like a scenario
where it is like we are relaying too much on
spinners because we are not having a good pool of
fast ballers.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Bology see the last fast bowling face like not a
good fast bowling unit since SAE early two thousand or
mid nineties, the fast bowling contingents like Nostrina set the tone.
Anxiety took over and a lot of players took up
pass bowling as a go to option in red ball
cricket because previously it used to be not many will
(03:15):
aspire to become a fast bowler. But slowly that trend
has happened in mid nineties and very good phases of
early two thousand because some of the series where fast
bowlers overseas and Indian conditions were unmatched, they were able
to produce some super spells and that inspired many youngsters.
So I feel like the last core crop of pass
(03:38):
bowlers which came around ten years back, like say Boomra,
say Momuchmi Seyha, those are the last ones. If you
take a new set of Siraj is the one who recently,
like five six years back he made his debut. But
apart from that, yes, the fast bowling has dropped a
bit past bowling department in Indian condition, especially looking at
(04:01):
our resources, it has dropped a bit because that is
one of the major factors when it comes to see
Yes we add superb quality spinners in the past and
always we use to rely on spinners, but modern day
cricket with a lot of overseas cricketers getting a lot
of exposure and sub continent kind of wicked, where like no,
(04:23):
there needs to be a support for both the department
both the aspect of the game when it comes to bowling.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So I feel in.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
That we little lost the plot of like developing a
fast bowling unit, which we need to identify and get
it very soon because otherwise it'll be like you know,
we will be searching because.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
You cannot bowl a new ball.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
With spin, you cannot bowl a new ball with a
medium pacer. Yes, there are like a lot of talks
about wickets and everything but apart from wicket, the cricket
has to be looked at very clean without any condition
in place.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What are you required to do?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
A two sets of pass bowlers and then you need
a set of spinners, and then you need a core
of batting and then you have a wonderful like you know,
a good safe catching version. So all these things need
to be looked at. I think fast bowling makes a
huge influence. We are a little bit slide down in
that one particular department of bowling where fast bowling was
key in bringing in we had Ashwin and Jadeja was
(05:23):
doing major kind of the influence when it comes to
a bowling department. But they were like good support from
the pass bowlers be it Shan Chami, Boomra in the pace,
they all contributed. I think that contribution has a little
bit gone.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Down a bit.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Then you surprise that given his recent form that Chammi,
somebody like Chammi wasn't sort of made part of this
series because we saw in both beat in Calcutta or
in Goharti you had like South African fastballers also where
among the vickers they even match the spinners Bullergy in
the series which unfortunately Indian seamers. Yes, Booma did it
the first innings, but beyond that, fastballers couldn't do much
(06:03):
for India.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, of course, yes, apart from Boomra And there is
hardly any fast bowler mean which we rely on as
a strike bowler. So if you'll take Boomera as an
exceptional who has been amongst the wickets and every now
one day and Siraj has done well. But what exactly
has happened is a bit of like you know, a
(06:25):
consistency when it comes to supporting the spin department compared
to opposition.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Knowing exactly where to bowl.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And I remember a lot of fast bowlers used to
come to subcontinent tools with a lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Plans, but nothing has been established as a successful kind
of game.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Many great bowlers have come to the continent to try
and disturb our batting lineup, but nothing has happened in
the past. But recent past we are getting out a
lot of the fast bowler that is contrasting out the overseas.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Fast bowlers are learning a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
From the exposure which they are getting through i PL
and getting through a lot of leagues which has been
happening in subcontinent and they're slowly acclimatizing to the lens
because lens are very important when it comes to sub
continent because normally you don't get that much of assistance
when it comes to steam movement and when it comes
(07:17):
to swings, but lens are the go to option for
a fast bowler.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Slowly we get to see a lot of fastballers.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Performing in subpontin and condition, like say the previous series
which we lost against New Zealand. Also Willarooka was someone
who produced a spell and they're well supported by Tim
Saudi and everything they all have.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
You know, started identifying the.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Lens which required to bowl against the best batting lineup
which you used to have right now, Yes, there is
a bit of worry that fast bowlers have not stepped.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Up to the expectation. It is overly dependent.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
On Boomera Boomra performs and team performs invariably. But yes,
there is a need of our for fast bowlers need
to be developed in our country.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, that's too many interesting talking points you mentioned and
right from the first chance, so that you gave about
the concerns. So how India is playing red ball cricket
to the situation with the fast polos. Now, if you
go back to the first thing that you said, right,
the concerns about red ball cricket, and how do you
kind of, you know, make sense of what has happened
(08:20):
over the last twelve months where India first lose to
New Zealand, then they go to England and play this
craziest series that we've seen in a very very long time,
not just involving India but also you know, any other
test playing nations. Then you come back home again and
it's the same story all over again which we saw
against New Zealand. So this fluctuation of performance, is it
(08:41):
purely because of the conditions or is it more to
it than that?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I feel see look at the last fifteen years itself,
like slowly the best crop of players come from the
later stage of two thousand, like two eight, nine, ten,
eleven to alve So when it comes to a good, solid, batting,
performing kind of a players who loves to play red
ball cricket, who loves to stay at the crease for
(09:05):
a longer period of time, the pedigree of spending long
hours in kind of encourages the player to produces a
maximum out of the skill. I think it has been happening.
It has been happening without our kind of knowledge, where
slowly individual performances were you know, a little bit camouflage
that kind of drop in red bull cricket importance overall
(09:28):
when you see red ball cricket importance which we used
to produce a lot of cricketers from iconic cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka,
Bangalore and Sennai, Calcutta, all these iconic cities which used
to produce a lot of cricketers with long hours of
spending the kind of they normally do because of the
(09:49):
system which helped them in the past, with so.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Much of exposure in those cities and so much of
histories in the cities.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
But in the reason why is I feel the cricketers
from the MiG big metros like Bombay, like Delhi, Karnataka
tad at certain level at least for no different level
where they used to compete the good cricketers.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And the very good.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Student of the games knows exactly the nuance senses knows
exactly how to put the rd yards on a duration game,
especially four day and five day cricket, when a lot
of history behind and a lot of no education in
their primary phases of their career. So I think slowly
that has diminished a bit, and that particular phases where
(10:36):
we produce a lot of cricketers from these particular cities
have gone down.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
But smaller towns started performing really well.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
If you look at Randy Trophy red ball in the
last fifteen years, the amount of time like a state
like Saurashtra, state like state like Madha and Rajasthan produced
good red ball results compared to the cities were very
well built for infrastructure and the system in place for
(11:03):
games on red ball cricket have already been a bit
of change happened because these smaller states have developed a
lot of stuff and they are the one who's producing
red ball results if you look at it. But majorities
of the players who made their debut before twenty fifteen
were from the big cities.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Right in the.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Last ten years, I feel a lot of cricketers have
transformed into more of limited over kind of influence.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
I've gone in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
More of players were, like you know, started developing skill
sets which is more likely suited for the limited overs.
But I always believe the fifty over format played a
huge part in our development as a white ball cricket
because it is in between format where it is closer
to the duration format, which is test cricket. So the
(11:54):
twenty twenty actually what it does is it doesn't actually
allow the kind of guys who likes to play the
long hours of the game, like bowling long spells of
the game, batting long hours of the game. It totally
took away one major part where cricketers were actually learning
from the sport.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
I mean, how do you call a good student of
the game.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Normally you spend hours and hours in that particular field
to understand the crafts, understand the demands and at a
very young age you navigate yourself from a tough situation
to a best situation and taking the team through a
long side with your kind of you know, long hours.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Spending like that produces a lot.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Of cricketers who are good at.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Red ball cricket.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
But what it happened in recent past is the shift
has happened. The guys who are actually playing good red
ball cricket are from two tire cities and kind of
state where less amount of time is given to the
I mean the infrastructure by Saurastra and Witherba for a
particular example, Madya, Pradesh and Rajasthan, all these places where
(13:02):
they just started developing red ball cricketers.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But if you look at it, it is one.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Way where we have to really think why this has
been happening. That is because the cricketers don't have anything
else to fall back. They only have red ball cricket.
They only have a longer duration to focus.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So that is a way.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Like you, no, our domestic system is functioning right now,
but internationally our schedules are like that. Like when you
play Test cricket, it has always been a mixed and
match with some white ball tournament which comes before or later,
be it any white ball tournament. We don't have a
complete season where like red ball translates a cricketer to
a white ball I mean the Test arena. So normally
(13:43):
what happens is our schedule has been like that where
red ball is actually sandwiched between white ball.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
But when you guys played, you guys should all format players, right,
I mean, it wasn't that you'll only play ten twenty.
I understand workload and all is a question now, but
you guys were trained and prepared to play all formats
of the game may be less of T twenty because
it was a fewer T twenty's back. Then, can we
say that one of the I don't know if downsides
is the right word, but one of the factors of
(14:11):
the sport, especially after the rise of T twenty and
the way it's spread all over India. We talk about,
you know, one of the many smaller centers coming into
picture and having their moment under the sun. Has it
led to a scenario where it is T twenty cricket,
which is more popular there, and you have players who
are trained to even you know, not leave outside the
(14:33):
off stump balls and go for it or you know,
just go for a slock seed when it's not required
that patients required that that's taught from a very young age.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That's not there?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Is that the case where the training from a very
young age is different?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Now, see, we were lucky, our generation were lucky we
had a format like fifty over, which is closer to
our duration games like that is like closer to a
first class or a test game like normally like no,
you grind and grind us will have the time to
abide to develop your innings. And still hundreds are very frequent.
(15:06):
You know exactly how to shape your hundreds. You know
exactly how to produce a five week all or a
three weekt all or a four week at all. But
I will not blame the cricketers now, I will not
blame the format. Introduction of new format is fantastic because
it gives a lot of cricketers the opportunity to try
out a kind of sport where they are willing to
(15:26):
try out now from the districts to very economically down
background where they still have the economical background which helps
the format which has been introduced. The scouts have been
great and the introduction of T twenty IPL has been
great for cricket overall. But what actually I feel which
actually didn't rise the way it should have rised. It
(15:50):
is one way, when you look at it, we are
producing amazing kind of talent which is like more white
ball suited. Actually, if you look at it the red
cricket where we are not producing the talent which which
is on and off, which used to happen like long
hours of players like Roald Dravid and Pujara where they
(16:10):
defend and defend.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
And grind innings.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
They make opposition dryout with their patience, determination and the
kind of quality which red ball was more suited to
that game. You cannot take it to a white ball
cricket in a developing age. Is there anything where there
is a roadmap, there is a pathway? Is there any
pathway for a red ball cricket who plays that kind
(16:33):
of innings? Because that kind of like no players like
to bowl a lot like no previous generation likes like Zai,
like Anil Kumle, like Ashwin, all enjoyed bowling twenty five
to thirty hours.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Where do this kid will enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Nowadays you're actually looked at visibly or your reputation goes
I when you try out different varieties of balls. That
is not the case when we started, at least till
two thousand ten or twenty twelve, because the cricketers who
were coming from all these players were started to enjoy
more of long hours of bowling, long hours of batting.
(17:10):
But at the moment what is happening is it is
more becoming one dimensional. We are actually losing the plot
on the other important format which used to produce a
lot of cricketers, which we are slowly losing it because
it has not happened today, which has not happened because
of this last two sless series.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It has been happening for a while, but it has
not highlighted.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
As this because the players who were like the previous
generation were kept that game intact, like jin Karan, like
rout Shema Collin knows exactly how to balance the two
formats of the game, three four wards of the game.
And the players who were in skill sets actually it
didn't affect them that much as the current day modern
(17:53):
day cricketers. It is going to affect or it is
affecting right now because I feel there needs to be
a kind of separate planning, our separate economics, separate influence
the red ball cricket to develop, because I think it
is high time for a young cricketer to like the
red ball sport. It is not like, no, there is
(18:15):
some when I get to hear I wanted to bowl
with a white ball but are very youngaged. I wanted
to play under lights that are very youngaged. It is
not making a young cricketer to develop the art of learning.
It is not actually allowing the end cricketer to art
of going through the craft the way the craft demands,
the time demands the hours to develop. So all these
(18:38):
mentally and physically I'm saying, I'm saying skillfully as well
as your demands of the game, which is like intact,
you still play six hour sport. You still play the
five day duration or a T twenty duration or a
fifty oerd duration game, which is still happening. It is
good that all formats giving a lot of opportunities to
the players, but I also want to see how much
(19:00):
importance is given to the red ball cricket be starting
from all across.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
The pioneers of the game.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
All across the stakeholders of the game, needs to have
a kind of conversation how do we do it, How
do we develop the engster mind into going into that
kind of hours which it requires, because nowadays it's all
becoming very fast. Everyone wants results very fast. Nobody wants
to wait for some time. Nobody wants to grind hours
and hours to develop a skill set. But at the
(19:29):
moment we are in between sandwich between.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
A time and the result.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Both were in between sandwiched which went to choose Nobody
actually as addressed it.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
It's just fun to mention here you mentioned about this
entire how the culture has changed now given the results
in the reason past, it doesn't look like it's going
to be like India are going to like it take
a long time for them to get back to the
top spot. You have seen you have coached in the
domestic circuit as well in the recent past. So when
people we always called for like why don't you bring
(20:00):
title specialists, As the time has come, probably India should
also look at reintball specialists. This is the need of
the heart rather than looking all format players.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I think it will come.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
It will definitely going to come because it has come
to a stage.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Where, like you know, you normally have.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To start from at the state level where it needs
to start, because the supply chain is state level cricket
for the Indian cricket overall, it is not only franchising cricket.
Francising cricket is of course good for the talent to
be identified and performance, and you know, it is good
for the viewers to get connected to the game as
well as some extraordinary talents and established talents fighting.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Rubbing shoulder to shoulder.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
But where it normally actually makes the change is the
root level, I mean, your structure of every straight need.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So because other.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
States have red ball contract like say in Australia or England,
where the economics are not so much is an issue
where they get a supply out of that contract system
from the county system.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I mean at least that is taking care.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
But in state level, in state level, if you start segregate,
you are cricketers as this is a person who's going
to give me a red ball kind of career or
a red ball kind of a performance for my state.
So that is how it is ingrained. I mean slowly,
all the importance from the state level will invariably.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Filter us out.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
The best out of the system will come out, not
only through IPL. Right now our system is identifying cricketers
through IPL more previously it used to be identifying cricketers
through tournaments. Some of the tournaments are.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Very key in developing a lot of cricketers.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Like all these tournaments are losing their SENE and there
needs to be a particular place like where like red
ball system, a red ball coaching system, a red ball
development system, parameters needs to be given separately where they
can develop because otherwise it is going to be very late.
Because I see a means nowadays run on like you
(22:01):
know the kids and parents comes with the mindset of like, no,
I want to become a T twenty player, I want
to develop as a teetwny because visibility is more because
of the easy access to play international cricket is I
will not say easy access is much expressed avenue, But
what is there for a redball cricketer to make an
encouraging cut where like, yes, there are the results the
(22:25):
way somebody likes it.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
This is the way somebody loves to play.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
So all these cricketers will be filled out and they
will be developed as a redball cricketer in the future.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
Well, from here, where does Indian Test team would you
like to see travel? Because there has been a lot
of chopun changing naturally because of the results, because of
combination changes. How do you see it going Because you're
being a coach as where it does like this chop
and changing doesn't work going forward income because we have
tough tours to streatl Anker Street Lanker be already preparing
(22:54):
turning tracks for next year. New Zealand has going to
be totally different, opposite seeming. So where do you see
India moving from here? From the series defeats it like
given com here more costings than answers over here.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
See, coaches are always there to blame because in any
sport in that matter, research actually navigates. First thing comes
to the mind is the coach needs to be changed.
And in any sport that is the case, even practical,
even sport like basketball and football, the coaches are the
one which takes a blip. But in a sport where
(23:28):
tactically is less, where influence decision making is huge, where
cricket is one sport where decision making is huge. So
of course you need to give time any coach you select.
That means you selected for the purpose of going through
the kind of okay, giving the time for them to
know meture with the team as well. The team needs
(23:48):
to mature and the coach also needs to mature together.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Then only you end up seeing research.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Probably give the time and desire and evaluate every now
and then we are just reacting for a particular phase
of the kind of performance which is invariably bringing in
all this attention from coach or the captain or normally
these are all the phases which we normally talk in
Indian cricket are in cricket in general.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So normally.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
These are the readers who normally takes decisions because that
sport demands the decisions. I feel fight test matches doesn't
decide a future of a cricketer. Fight test matches doesn't
decide a future of anybody because it is very minimal.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
When you talk about a.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Three year contract or a two year contract is hardly
what fight test matches is like, you know, twenty five
days actually your performances. I feel it's basically has to
translated to first because this is a game where, especially
test cricket, where runs are most important, then the wicket
column is important. Then the result will takes on his
(24:54):
own before runs. You have to make sure, yes, this
is the top six, which we never used to have
an issue in the previous era. Always our top six
or top five is being guaranteed they know how to
do the job. If you look at it fifteen to
twenty years every era there are players with who are
like you know, known to perform at this high level,
(25:17):
known to soak the pressure, known to evolve, i mean,
respond to the expectation. Is especially in subcontinent and the
home condition. That is not the case right now, that
is the case of like now yes, there needs to
be a proper evaluation, which should happen after two years.
I feel after two years of a coach tenure you
should take an evaluation.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But till then, what I like to see.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Is I want a proper because unlesson until there is
runs in the board, the game itself dies because irrespective
of whoever you got, the game determines by the runs.
Result determines by the number of wicket how quicker you
get the wickets, but the game pattern bat twenty, eat
fifty over beat duration, game all determines by the number
(26:05):
of runs, number of hours, minimum number of sessions, minimum
number of time you spend on the particular phases of
the game. So I feel that needs to be first addressed.
Rather than looking at other aspects. Division making should be
based on how do we get the runs on board?
How do we get the minimum records which used.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
To happen invarably.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Or on an autopilot mode in the last at least
for two three decades, which I remember, the runs at
home is never an issue runs where like no, we're.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Never an issue.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
A in a kind of cricketer is coming from any background.
Any setup invably is identified and given opportunity. At the
highest level, you are justified by the numbers. Especially you
are a better you are expected to do the numbers.
You get the numbers in place. So that is how
the game demands for you to go forward as a team.
(26:59):
Without you cannot go forward as a team, beat, as
a coach, beat, as a leader of the team, beat
all the players. Runs are the most important aspect. How
do we identify which you are not getting at the
moment in the two series, if you look at it,
we have like totally outsmarted out played by the opposition
(27:19):
on the scorecard itself. Actually it was happening before. Also
our lower order was so productive in producing and bailing
out from the situation like Ashwin Jadeja. And when we
played three many times, our lower order was bailing out
of from the situation. And you had a concrete solid
player for one format like Pujara the previous generation as Roldrabit,
(27:43):
and the reason Ajenka like no known to do the
job for ten years and of course one format bowler
where he enjoys playing the limited overs. But if your
reason was if you see we lost the plot which
was actually shouldn't have happened in the previous uh five
years back itself. The results were actually camouflaging. The lower
(28:07):
order were contributing a lot of runs role midlorder in
the sense and yes, when they're bailing out the situation
again and again, you end.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Up out playing the opposition.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
At the moment, the lower order is not doing much
as well as the batting lineup, which is not doing
the role which are defined because we get away from
the tough phases on and off in the previous players
where they know exactly how to navigate, experienced players, how
to navigate the situation. The experienced players and who marshals
the innings, like say we're at Kolia and Kujara normally
(28:39):
marshals most of the tactical from the opposition ploys.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
They're able to marshal it if they misses out.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Someone like you know, Ajin Karane and others who are
in and out of the team were able to and
if they misses out, and the middle order was so
strong the bat deep like you know, each of us
like got us out from a situation like you when
said like you know Jadeja and that's but if you
look at it, that has actually started, I mean five
(29:07):
six years back. We lost slowly, we're losing the plot
of batting out the opposition.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Yeah, and you're right because we had a good batting
line of pill number seven, number eight, and that the
symptoms are always there that you know. We've been talking
about India not being technically adapt against spin at home
conditions for a while now, and I think what happened
is we ignored those calls because some players, one or
two players kind of mass to paper those cracks and
(29:32):
now those players are not there and the problem.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Is for all to see.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
So although if we were to kind of, you know,
conclude today's top boulog, you feel that there shouldn't be
any kneej of reactions. We should just evaluate there is
still some time before India plays in next Test match
and go back to the drawing group, look at how
things are and where it can be proved and then
you know, go and play again, rather than you know,
(29:55):
taking action against coach or any particular players or anything
like that.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Do you feel that, And it doesn't fielder because being
as a coach, I have been part of a coaching
system for the last seven eight years.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
So a coach is as good as.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
The team because team performance puts the coach in the
red makes the decision even more with the conviction and
a decision making into where like you are more confident.
But unless until your core of the team has not
been able to develop that in the consistency which you
cannot address your tactical side or a decision making side
as one pillar of the roof the other pillars are
(30:31):
are we playing to our potential? Doesn't matter who overcomes
as a coach, doesn't matter who over leads the team,
doesn't matter what about the tactics the leadership groups puts
us in. Are we able to handle it for the
next two of five, six years or ten years?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Are with this crop up group? Are we in a
right direction?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
So these are the things which I feel more than
anything more than pinpointing, because.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
This comes from a system.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
This comes from proper channeling of players coming through the
ranks to do the job. Like one follows other, one
follow the suit of other. Like you know, you need
a player like Pujara, You need to have a player
like roll Ravit kind of a mode. You need to
have a player like we're in the Shavak mode also,
which actually helps.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
The team to know get out of the situation.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
It is a proper like you know, a team which
needs to be given that kind of phase. Yes, there
will be selection, but we have talent. When it comes
to talent, it's plenty. But talent alone doesn't serve the results.
I feel like you know, most important in cricket is
you have to have a strong tactically because game demands
(31:40):
instinctive decision on the field and game demands are strong
and if the guys are given opportunity should be based
on yes, we are giving opportunity. We are not going
to look at one or to matches results because that
is how you gain confidence.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Otherwise you lose trust on.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Relision makers that puts invariably for me as a player,
I will be always judged on.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
My particular day performance. I don't know if.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
That particular performance are going to be mattered for my
put because you've always been insecure. But I feel like
you know, there are a lot of signs where like no,
we were not able to convert it into performances because
the opportunities were given opportunities. Of course that nobody can
question the opportunity like Jurus, you sigh SUGGESTIONI and Washington's
(32:25):
in the in the last two series they were able
to come back into the side and you have youngsters
coming in and at the same time you have Schumu Gilias.
While all these guys are there, but is that alone
going to navigate our batting lineup or our team to
a next level.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Because we need to go to a next level. We
are right now.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Stuck and opposition and coming and surprising us because we
are a little bit sandwiched.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Between a format.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
So it's a great point, and I think it's a
good point to end to conversation because there are so
many talking points that one forty five minute conversation won't
be enough for that. So we'll see how this goes.
Some really important point you've raised here, so hopefully Creckating
think tanks so to say, we'll look into it. And
still a good six months or eight months before India
(33:17):
plays their next test MAC, so plenty of time to
kind of recover from this loss. But also the risk
of IPL coming in the way and everything looking hunky
doory once again is always there, so you'll see.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
How that goes.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
But thanks a lot again for your time, Bology. It
was a pleasure to have you here. Hopefully, first of
many and we shall be back with a new episode
of Game Time next week. Thanks again, big thanks mancut.
Speaker 6 (33:43):
You were listening to Express Borts by the Indian Express.
This week's show was edited and mixed by Soar and
produced by Meshahan Barker. If you like the show, then
do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. You
can also recommend the show to someone you think we'll
like it, share it with a friend or someone in
your family.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
It's the best.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
Way for people to get to know about us. You
can also tweet us at Express Podcasts and write to
us at podcasts at Indenexpress dot com.
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