We should know the World Cup team by the time England T20Is end: Vikram Rathour
India's batting coach talks game-plans for T20s, and how and where strike rates matter in the shortest format
Nagraj Gollapudi
09-Mar-2021
In England's original schedule for their tour of India, the two teams were to play five Tests. However, the BCCI and the ECB decided to swap out the fifth Test with a five-match T20I series. It will serve as preparation for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in October-November in India. All five T20Is will be played in Ahmedabad, with the first one on March 12.
One of the men in charge of India's preparation will be Vikram Rathour, the team's batting coach. This will be Rathour's second T20I series as batting coach, after India won 2-1 in Australia last December. Rathour spoke to ESPNcricinfo ahead of the England tour in February about the need to find a "settled team" before the T20 World Cup, not being fussed about the Indian batsmen's strike rates as long as they could adapt to situations and roles, and what makes a good batting game-plan in T20 cricket. Excerpts:
Having never played the format, how easy or difficult is it for you to be a coach in T20s. You do have experience as a coach in franchise cricket and in domestic cricket, having done that in the IPL and with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab?
See, I am not really teaching them how to play a cover drive or a pull shot. For me, the discussions are on game-plans, on decision making, on handling pressure, having the right temperament, or reading the situations well. And for that, whether I have played that game or not, I don't think it is that important. That is my thinking.
See, I am not really teaching them how to play a cover drive or a pull shot. For me, the discussions are on game-plans, on decision making, on handling pressure, having the right temperament, or reading the situations well. And for that, whether I have played that game or not, I don't think it is that important. That is my thinking.
My job with them is (to help them with) what bowlers to pick, what areas to look to hit. And if they are doing certain things, what are their thoughts and why they are doing it - that is the area I focus on more actually.
Five T20Is against England. Which are the main questions you have jotted down for this series from the batting unit's perspective?
The [T20] World Cup is in India, so I just want the batting unit to get settled basically. By the time we finish this series, we should know, 'this is the team which is going to play the World Cup'. So hopefully that will happen in this series. I am already sure that there wouldn't be too many changes anyway, because we are a pretty settled unit at the moment. But in case somebody loses form or somebody gets injured, as a batting unit you just want to get settled now.
The [T20] World Cup is in India, so I just want the batting unit to get settled basically. By the time we finish this series, we should know, 'this is the team which is going to play the World Cup'. So hopefully that will happen in this series. I am already sure that there wouldn't be too many changes anyway, because we are a pretty settled unit at the moment. But in case somebody loses form or somebody gets injured, as a batting unit you just want to get settled now.
Isn't there still a spot, the wicketkeeper-batsman, as a back-up to KL Rahul, still up for grabs?
KL has done really well as a wicketkeeper-batsman. He has been a superb cricketer, he has batted really well, he has kept reasonably well. Now Rishabh [Pant] (is) back in form and doing well, let's see how it goes. Once this situation comes, what the team management is looking to do, that'll happen on the day of the game and how this series goes.
KL has done really well as a wicketkeeper-batsman. He has been a superb cricketer, he has batted really well, he has kept reasonably well. Now Rishabh [Pant] (is) back in form and doing well, let's see how it goes. Once this situation comes, what the team management is looking to do, that'll happen on the day of the game and how this series goes.
You said game-plan is one thing you need to figure out. You are playing England, one of the best and most aggressive batting units - they bat deep and they play (hard) from ball one. India's (batting) approach has been different with a top order comprising Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli. They all bat virtually in a similar style - they like to bat deep, their strike rates, too, are similar. How much of the ongoing strike rate debate do India need to adapt to?
You are looking to win a game. If you are chasing, strike rate doesn't mean anything actually. You are looking to finish a game and chase a target - whether you do it in 10 overs or 20 overs, you are looking to win the game. Batting first, at times, yeah. If the conditions are good you need to be looking to put a par score on board. As far as our T20 (batting) is concerned we have been doing that pretty consistently. So I'm not really, really concerned; I mean as far as we are winning games and we are putting par scores and chasing targets, I'm okay with whatever strike rates they are going at.
You are looking to win a game. If you are chasing, strike rate doesn't mean anything actually. You are looking to finish a game and chase a target - whether you do it in 10 overs or 20 overs, you are looking to win the game. Batting first, at times, yeah. If the conditions are good you need to be looking to put a par score on board. As far as our T20 (batting) is concerned we have been doing that pretty consistently. So I'm not really, really concerned; I mean as far as we are winning games and we are putting par scores and chasing targets, I'm okay with whatever strike rates they are going at.
Can't India afford to go (hard) from ball one, considering that you bat pretty deep?
Hmm...Yes. Somebody like Rohit has a very set game-plan and he has been extremely successful following that game-plan. So I would not really want him to change that. He is somebody who takes his time initially, gets set first, and then goes scores big. That has worked well for us. That has worked well for him. So I absolutely find no reason to change that at this point.
Hmm...Yes. Somebody like Rohit has a very set game-plan and he has been extremely successful following that game-plan. So I would not really want him to change that. He is somebody who takes his time initially, gets set first, and then goes scores big. That has worked well for us. That has worked well for him. So I absolutely find no reason to change that at this point.
"I'm not really, really concerned; I mean as far as we are winning games and we are putting par scores and chasing targets, I'm okay with whatever strike rates they are going at."Vikram Rathour
That's Rohit. But I'm talking about the middle order, where you have Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant?
Yeah, that will depend. If both of them are playing and if you get a good start, so they are the guys who will go from ball one. Those are the guys who are capable of doing that. That's the discussion we have been having: what the team requires at that point. If your team requires you to score 12 an over you should be able to do that, and if your team requires you to get 6 runs an over and win the game, you should be able to do that as well. So you need to be able to adapt to both situations, and that is what a good game-plan is.
Yeah, that will depend. If both of them are playing and if you get a good start, so they are the guys who will go from ball one. Those are the guys who are capable of doing that. That's the discussion we have been having: what the team requires at that point. If your team requires you to score 12 an over you should be able to do that, and if your team requires you to get 6 runs an over and win the game, you should be able to do that as well. So you need to be able to adapt to both situations, and that is what a good game-plan is.
And equally be able to adapt with bating positions as well?
Batting plans, again, in T20, yes, depending on what kind of start of you have had, how many overs are left, so that is one format where you need to be very flexible with your batting plans or batting order. Anybody could be on at any point of time in the batting unit. That is the kind of mindset you need to have.
Batting plans, again, in T20, yes, depending on what kind of start of you have had, how many overs are left, so that is one format where you need to be very flexible with your batting plans or batting order. Anybody could be on at any point of time in the batting unit. That is the kind of mindset you need to have.
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor at ESPNcricinfo