'The current generation's batting preparation is as intense as Sachin's and Rahul's'
Sanjay Bangar, India's batting coach till recently, talks about plans in Tests and limited-overs, and how he approaches players with technical issues
Interview by Subash Jayaraman
02-May-2016
What are the responsibilities of a batting coach? What is the extent of your duties with the Indian team?
The extent of my role is to look after the preparation part of the batting group. That doesn't necessarily mean just the batsmen, but also looking after the batting of the lower order. It is related to the preparation, understanding the needs of the players, understanding where they stand in the game, what form they are in, what they are working on from a technical point of view. My role includes all these things.
The extent of my role is to look after the preparation part of the batting group. That doesn't necessarily mean just the batsmen, but also looking after the batting of the lower order. It is related to the preparation, understanding the needs of the players, understanding where they stand in the game, what form they are in, what they are working on from a technical point of view. My role includes all these things.
How do you develop those batting plans?
Nowadays international cricket is so cramped, you are playing one format over another. You do not actually get a period of inactivity before the start of a Test series, and then you go into the Test series, so you learn to alter your plans and modify the preparations lightly.
Nowadays international cricket is so cramped, you are playing one format over another. You do not actually get a period of inactivity before the start of a Test series, and then you go into the Test series, so you learn to alter your plans and modify the preparations lightly.
Generally when we approach the Test format, we are looking at the composition the team is playing. In the last couple of series, we played with six batsmen and five specialist bowlers. Earlier all the Indian teams were playing six specialist batsmen, a wicketkeeper and four bowlers. It was the management's call to go with this composition. We stressed a lot on guys who need to take more responsibilities as far as batting is concerned. That made every individual batsman realise that if they got a start, they have to make it count.
Apart from that, our preparation is also based on the opposition and the conditions we play in. When we go to Australia, we make a conscious effort to play the bouncing ball. For that, we use various synthetic balls for the batsmen to get used to. On turning wickets, we prepare a lot about trusting your defence, using your feet to get to the pitch of the ball, use of the sweep shot, and also developing back-foot play against the spinner.
Because you only have six batsmen, including the wicketkeeper, does that mean you have to be a lot more defensive as opposed to when you have an extra batsman and have more liberty to attack the bowling. Is that sort of thing talked about?
Not entirely. But the thought behind it is that the lower order has to chip in with the runs. That is what we saw in the Sri Lanka series, where the lower order did so well - [R] Ashwin, [Amit] Mishra contributing with the bat down the order. It also gives the bowling allrounder the responsibility of getting some extra runs.
Not entirely. But the thought behind it is that the lower order has to chip in with the runs. That is what we saw in the Sri Lanka series, where the lower order did so well - [R] Ashwin, [Amit] Mishra contributing with the bat down the order. It also gives the bowling allrounder the responsibility of getting some extra runs.
"We do certain drills with a view to improve certain things in a player and we continuously do that till it becomes second nature - whether it be foot movement, movement of the player, position of the head in relation to the off stump"
If you are playing with six batsmen, the wicketkeeper and four bowlers, most times you will end up getting the extra 50-75 runs. But because you only have four bowlers and the conditions are in favour of the batsmen, the bowlers will have to work extra hard. They might end up conceding more than 50-75 runs in getting the ten wickets. It is okay that we are getting less runs, but by having those five specialist bowlers, we are suggesting that we will get the opposition out within that sort of score in the first innings.
If you compare it with the second innings, maybe what happens is that instead of probably chasing 250, if your bowling is good, you can be chasing 200 or be defending 200 instead of chasing or defending 275.
There are bowling plans, and in the limited-overs game, they talk about opening the over, finishing the over, dot-ball percentage, etc. Are there batting plans as well - how to bat together in partnerships, and top order, middle order, lower order, how to just chip in? How do you assign responsibilities to various players?
I don't think in Test cricket there is one specific plan. I feel the more dynamic planning is related to the shortest format of the game. That's where you talk of how you can minimise dots, how you can target a particular bowler, at what phase of the game you want to accelerate - whatever target you are looking at, sixth over, tenth over, 13th-over mark. Then you look at the patterns of the bowlers bowling. There are certain bowlers a batsman is comfortable against. That is what you have in your mind - at this place, if I walk in and if this bowler is bowling, I will have the confidence to take him on. That is what every batsman tends to do in the shortest format of the game.
I don't think in Test cricket there is one specific plan. I feel the more dynamic planning is related to the shortest format of the game. That's where you talk of how you can minimise dots, how you can target a particular bowler, at what phase of the game you want to accelerate - whatever target you are looking at, sixth over, tenth over, 13th-over mark. Then you look at the patterns of the bowlers bowling. There are certain bowlers a batsman is comfortable against. That is what you have in your mind - at this place, if I walk in and if this bowler is bowling, I will have the confidence to take him on. That is what every batsman tends to do in the shortest format of the game.
Even in 50-over cricket, the constituents change. In earlier times, our team had one of the highest scoring rates in the last ten overs. There were also times when only four fielders were allowed outside the circle. The rule changed some time back and that meant that we will have to work out a good run rate between the 30th and 40th over, because we are not going to end up scoring a lot of runs in the last ten overs because of the extra fielder outside the circle. There were certain blocks between the 30th and 40th over where we didn't perform well in the South Africa series. We worked on those sets, tried a different way to approach the game. It is also related to the rule changes. You need to be constantly working on those things.
For a Test match is there much planning or is it technical aspects that you focus on?
In Test matches, you have time on your side, so you don't plan as much as you do with your T20 cricket. Basically it is occupation of the crease, playing sessions and making sure that you are batting at a particular run rate, so you don't fall behind or become very slow.
In Test matches, you have time on your side, so you don't plan as much as you do with your T20 cricket. Basically it is occupation of the crease, playing sessions and making sure that you are batting at a particular run rate, so you don't fall behind or become very slow.
One aspect you work on is strike rotation and communication between the batsmen. If at all, in Test cricket, the emphasis is on communication between the batsmen, and making sure that there is a contribution from the lower order. We work a similar amount of time on lower-order batsmen as we do on the top-order batsmen as far as honing of the skills.
Say you are in a four- or five-Test series, like in England two years ago. If a batsman is going through a tough patch - technical or confidence issues - how do you approach that situation as a batting coach?
The players need to trust you and have faith in you. It does take time for any individual who is new to a job. Now I am close to [being] in the job for two years, [so] the trust factor has developed really well between me and the players. When there is a loss of form, it is just going back to basics, trying and understanding what was the ideal performance trait of the player when he was doing well. What routines he had when he was doing well - whether he is watching the ball out of his hand, whether he is thinking of other things when he going out to bat, which are controllable. All these things you get to know when you interact with the batsman one on one away from the work. If you have a good enough rapport, it becomes easier to pass on your inputs on their game.
The players need to trust you and have faith in you. It does take time for any individual who is new to a job. Now I am close to [being] in the job for two years, [so] the trust factor has developed really well between me and the players. When there is a loss of form, it is just going back to basics, trying and understanding what was the ideal performance trait of the player when he was doing well. What routines he had when he was doing well - whether he is watching the ball out of his hand, whether he is thinking of other things when he going out to bat, which are controllable. All these things you get to know when you interact with the batsman one on one away from the work. If you have a good enough rapport, it becomes easier to pass on your inputs on their game.
But when someone has a bad habit creep into his batting - say, overcompensating or overbalancing - and you try to correct that in the middle of a Test series, sometimes, you might not get the result [immediately]. How do you maintain the confidence of the player, that what you have suggested is the right thing to do and that eventually they will get the results they want?
Nobody expects overnight results. There are certain habits that are formed over a period of years. Players are comfortable with certain things, and to move away from that the player needs to believe in whatever input is given to them. Basically it is the conviction of the player in accepting the inputs which they may feel will improve the game. If they take in that this will work for my game, then it becomes easy. Our thing is to plant the seed and walk away, watch and observe how the player is doing there.
Nobody expects overnight results. There are certain habits that are formed over a period of years. Players are comfortable with certain things, and to move away from that the player needs to believe in whatever input is given to them. Basically it is the conviction of the player in accepting the inputs which they may feel will improve the game. If they take in that this will work for my game, then it becomes easy. Our thing is to plant the seed and walk away, watch and observe how the player is doing there.
What I really wanted to know was: when you are in the middle of a Test series and a batsman is having trouble outside the off stump and he is edging far too many of them instead of leaving them, how do you technically go about correcting that, and how long does that take?
For that you need to understand the technique of the player and apply the biomechanical principle that governs batsmanship - that batsmanship is all about stability and balance, which allows you to play the ball correctly and be in a position to execute your shot. All those principles about whether his alignments are good or not, if he is picking the bat up in the right fashion, whether his perception level is good or not. It all starts from the set-up phase of the batsman.
For that you need to understand the technique of the player and apply the biomechanical principle that governs batsmanship - that batsmanship is all about stability and balance, which allows you to play the ball correctly and be in a position to execute your shot. All those principles about whether his alignments are good or not, if he is picking the bat up in the right fashion, whether his perception level is good or not. It all starts from the set-up phase of the batsman.
Generally a coach is able to connect most things at the set-up and the back-end phase of a particular batsman - [whether] his set-up is good, the weight is equally distributed on both feet, initial movement of his feet is correct, whether he is setting up for a full ball or not, whether he is picking up his bat, initiating his backlift with his top hand. If the batsman is doing those things well, he can react to the ball well, because he has given himself the best chance biomechanically for the body levers to work. From a technical point of view, you continuously study these factors of a batsman, and if the batsman is doing these things right, there is a chance of him making lesser mistakes and him becoming a very effective batsman.
"In the last couple of series, we played with six batsmen and five specialist bowlers. We stressed a lot on guys who need to take more responsibilities as far as batting is concerned"
When you put certain corrective measures in place to change certain things about the stance, balance, pick-up, how long is the process? Do you work over it in every net session, or do you give it some time - you tell them what needs to be done and they go out and try it in the match and in the nets and you go back to verify it?
We do certain drills with a view to improve certain things in a player and we continuously do that till it becomes second nature, and then constantly monitor it with video footage - whether it be foot movement, movement of the player, position of the head in relation to the off stump. It basically means that you identify an issue the batsman is facing, talk it through with the player and expect him to accept that. Then you start corrective measures through drills and constantly make sure the player is remembering that and is aware of all those things. That is the process. It can work in a matter of seven days, but it also depends on whether the player takes it on board.
We do certain drills with a view to improve certain things in a player and we continuously do that till it becomes second nature, and then constantly monitor it with video footage - whether it be foot movement, movement of the player, position of the head in relation to the off stump. It basically means that you identify an issue the batsman is facing, talk it through with the player and expect him to accept that. Then you start corrective measures through drills and constantly make sure the player is remembering that and is aware of all those things. That is the process. It can work in a matter of seven days, but it also depends on whether the player takes it on board.
If a player has an issue, do you let him first sort it out himself and if he cannot, then allow him to come to you? Or do you approach the player as soon as you spot the flaws?
You need to pick the right time. If someone is batting well and you notice he is scoring well, you don't want to put a doubt in his mind. If something is working for him and is not causing any problem, it is okay. If there is a pattern of dismissal for the batsman, only then you have to touch upon certain things, and there too the timing is important - when and how, with what sort of mind you approach the player.
You need to pick the right time. If someone is batting well and you notice he is scoring well, you don't want to put a doubt in his mind. If something is working for him and is not causing any problem, it is okay. If there is a pattern of dismissal for the batsman, only then you have to touch upon certain things, and there too the timing is important - when and how, with what sort of mind you approach the player.
At the highest level, the mental aspect becomes the most dominant thing. Do you approach your coaching philosophy from that point of view?
It is basically that you forge strong relationships and friendships. You do it at a subconscious level, wherein the player relies on you and trusts you. It is a relationship developed over a period of time. You are constantly travelling and the amount of time we spend off the field together is equally important for a player-coach relationship to work.
It is basically that you forge strong relationships and friendships. You do it at a subconscious level, wherein the player relies on you and trusts you. It is a relationship developed over a period of time. You are constantly travelling and the amount of time we spend off the field together is equally important for a player-coach relationship to work.
The Indian side you played in had some of the greatest batsmen to play for India. Were there things you picked up as a player - how they went about their batting routines, how they prepared for certain bowlers, or made changes to their batting technique - and now use as a coach?
Between then and now, the preparations have only gotten better. The quality of preparation has gone up because of the additional resources we have. Having said that, the earlier generation was as meticulous about their preparation as the current generation is. That is one thing Indian cricket is blessed with. You have certain individuals who are totally dedicated to excellence. I think that legacy of the past generation has been taken by the current generation as well, who take pride in wearing that India cap.
Between then and now, the preparations have only gotten better. The quality of preparation has gone up because of the additional resources we have. Having said that, the earlier generation was as meticulous about their preparation as the current generation is. That is one thing Indian cricket is blessed with. You have certain individuals who are totally dedicated to excellence. I think that legacy of the past generation has been taken by the current generation as well, who take pride in wearing that India cap.
At a more technical level, are there routines these batsmen, Tendulkar or Dravid, had that you think can be passed on to the upcoming generations?
It all boils down to preparation. I've seen how Rahul prepares at the NCA at the start of a series, or how Sachin prepared for Shane Warne - which is now part of folklore. All the batsmen - Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, or Cheteshwar Pujara - their preparation is as intense as the preparation of the earlier generation. They come really well prepared to meet the challenges of the series. It could be playing with a tennis ball, a synthetic ball, playing on surfaces which are dry or loose, where the ball is bouncing or gripping; whether they can play with soft hands at the start of the innings - those are the things that generally players do.
It all boils down to preparation. I've seen how Rahul prepares at the NCA at the start of a series, or how Sachin prepared for Shane Warne - which is now part of folklore. All the batsmen - Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, or Cheteshwar Pujara - their preparation is as intense as the preparation of the earlier generation. They come really well prepared to meet the challenges of the series. It could be playing with a tennis ball, a synthetic ball, playing on surfaces which are dry or loose, where the ball is bouncing or gripping; whether they can play with soft hands at the start of the innings - those are the things that generally players do.
Now you are also the head coach of Kings XI Punjab. Do you still take an active role in looking at the batting of the team, or leave it to others and just look at the overall management of the players?
Being the head coach of an IPL team, I don't have to work too far on the techniques of the players. I basically lay down plans. It is a managerial role, where you are concerned with selection, administration, dealing with different stakeholders of the team, like sponsors or owners. It is also a cramped schedule. You have to set up a plan and do your preparations right. But I feel that being a coach of an IPL team is far more complex than looking after a particular department of a national team.
Being the head coach of an IPL team, I don't have to work too far on the techniques of the players. I basically lay down plans. It is a managerial role, where you are concerned with selection, administration, dealing with different stakeholders of the team, like sponsors or owners. It is also a cramped schedule. You have to set up a plan and do your preparations right. But I feel that being a coach of an IPL team is far more complex than looking after a particular department of a national team.
Being the batting coach of a national side and an IPL team coach, you are basically on the job 365 days a year. How much of an effect does it have on your personal life? How long do you think you can handle this? Do you have future plans?
I don't have plans, but I will be on [the IPL] job till May 30, when the contract ends. The contract with BCCI ended on March 31. I will have to wait and see what transpires. I am very fortunate that I have a very supporting family and a good support system at home to take care of things. It becomes easier nowadays with technology. You can be away and still be in touch. I feel it is a tremendous honour, and for that you have to sacrifice some things. I hope to be able to continue to do so in the future as well.
I don't have plans, but I will be on [the IPL] job till May 30, when the contract ends. The contract with BCCI ended on March 31. I will have to wait and see what transpires. I am very fortunate that I have a very supporting family and a good support system at home to take care of things. It becomes easier nowadays with technology. You can be away and still be in touch. I feel it is a tremendous honour, and for that you have to sacrifice some things. I hope to be able to continue to do so in the future as well.