Devil is in the basics

In the first Test between Australia and India, the difference between the sides was much more than just skills. I enjoy watching Australia play for the manner in which they go about using their skills. Every session is meticulously planned and the plans implemented. They pay attention to small things when they practise: the throwing technique, the running between the wickets, the ground fielding, and minute details like sliding the bat while taking runs, relay throwing etc. More importantly, they implement them during the games.

A picture of contrast was Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman not being able to take threes even when the ball reached pretty close to the MCG boundary. Dravid got stuck at one end, strike was not rotated, and the batsmen came under immense pressure. Sourav Ganguly later nearly ran himself out while backing up and not sliding his bat back. And this is not an aberration; many more Indian cricketers have done that at the international level.

The stark difference set me thinking about how cricket is taught at the grassroots level in India. There are thousands of coaching clinics that run all over the country and not many of the coaches that conduct these camps actually teach their students these basics. Not many of the coaches are aware of these basics in the first place and are not able to explain the advantages and the disadvantages.

In my younger days a typical session would start with a jog for a couple of minutes, followed by a few stretches and you were straight into the nets. I would bowl from the start till I got exhausted and worry if I stopped, the coach would feel I was not fit. The moment I slowed down, he would ask, "Kayre, damlas ka? (Tired already?)". I would promptly reply, "No sir" and pick up the ball and bowl. By the time the nets would get over I would not be in a state to walk, leave alone field. It did make me fitter, but it also made it easier to fall into wrong habits. The fielding practice would involve a few catches here and there followed by a few drills and the net session would be over.

When you reach the first-class level, things improve a bit. At least the teams I have played in work on their basics. The players do realise now that it's not just a fancy thing. For a coach, it's important to explain why a certain thing is being done. For example, although there is a conventional approach of running between the wickets in a straight line, there is another concept where while looking to go for a second you can take a U-turn running in a small semi-circle near the popping crease – something Jonty Rhodes used to do effectively. By going the latter way, a batsman never has to stop while turning, allowing him to keep the momentum intact. Different batsmen respond differently to different methods, but all these things can be tried and results had on paper. It's then easier to explain to a kid and say, "That's why you should take a U-turn, or this is why you should run in a straight line."

The coach has to make sure that every drill is not just a chore to be done, but it leads to something that can be used in a match situation. A relay throw, the fielders need to know, helps the fielder who is midway between stumps and boundary to go for either end. Otherwise, the moment the ball leaves your hand from the boundary line, you have no control over it. So while relay throws may take an extra second, they make both ends danger ends.

We do try to teach such basics at the first-class level, but sometimes players come to the Ranji level without any knowledge of these basics. Not all of them make first-class debuts at a mouldable age, say 18-19. So it is difficult to undo things like faulty throwing techniques and diving methods. They do practise but when instincts take over in a match situation, they tend to do the same old thing.

That there is still a long way to go shows in the over-rates in Indian first-class cricket. Almost every match goes into the reserve half an hour to finish the stipulated 90 overs per day. Generally speaking, the urgency is lacking. Australian cricket, in contrast, is high-paced; you don't see anyone walking in between the overs. And that is not inbuilt; they keep constantly working on that.

The solution probably lies in coaching the coaches and also making sure coaches for an age group don't change every year. Currently, a player has to interact with a different coach each year and with different techniques and drills, it is easy to get confused and develop wrong habits.