Jennings monitoring Karnataka Ranji camp

Ray Jennings, the new coach of Bangalore franchise in the IPL, has been working with the Karnataka Ranji team for a week ahead of the domestic season starting on November 3. According to the players, the training sessions have been innovative and focused on developing skills and strengthening the mind.

"Wake up! Why are you guys sleeping? When you drove to the ground, you didn't have any accidents right? Then why make mistakes now? Always stand on the button, ready to perform at your best," Jennings would urge the team.

Jennings was surprised by the low intensity levels of a few players at the beginning of the camp, a senior member of the team said. "He was surprised that even a few young players were a bit lazy in their movements. He has pushed them hard and they are responding well. A week is not enough but he will be coming in on and off during the season."

The fielding drills have been different: Catch with one hand has been Jennings' mantra during the week. "If you have to catch one-handed, you have to get into the correct position, and quickly at that, or else you will definitely drop the catch," C Raghu, the vice-captain, said. "It was difficult but now everyone is taking them. And we all are automatically moving quickly to get into the right positions."

Jennings theory is if you catch one-handed in the practice sessions, you are more alert and focussed, and watch the ball that much better and it enables you to move a split second earlier in match situations to take with both hands. "This team will become the best fielding team in the domestic circuit in six months if they continue practising like this," Jennings said at the end of another 150-minute session on November 1.

The slip fielders, the wicketkeeper and the outfield fielders have all been doing the one-hand catching routine for the last seven days. Thilak Naidu, the wicketkeeper, said he could already see the benefits. "It's amazingly simple but very effective. Your eyes and hands move quicker. And he is a hard taskmaster," Naidu said.

Another favourite topic of the week has been the clichéd "body language". "He talked about the importance of it. How you walk into the ground when you go out to bat, or you are about to bowl your first ball," Raghu said. "It was about drilling back the basics."

Jennings is known to be a tough taskmaster but the players have enjoyed the approach. "He is simple, straightforward and pushes you really hard," Sunil Joshi said. "It's only going to help the team."