New Delhi: He is made of ‘steely nerves’. Ajinkya Rahane has such calmness that bowlers don’t feel scared when they fail to execute a plan under him. However, regular skipper Virat Kohli’s energy is sometimes mistaken for anger. This is what India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun said Wednesday while describing the two contrasting leaders of the side. AJinkya Rahane led India to historic 2-1 series-win in Australia after Kohli went on a paternity leave.
“When it comes to Jinks (Ajinkya), he is a calm person. He might look calm from the outside but there is a steely nerve in him,” Arun said. He was talking to India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube Channel.
“Jinks backs his players and looks calm. Even if a bowler goes wrong, he might not be scared of the captain. He knows that he will be backed,” Arun added. It was Ajinkya’s calm demeanour that helped the team move on from the Adelaide disaster. India at Adelaide were bowled out for 36 in the second innings.
“With Virat Kohli, if you bowl two bad balls, it might look like he will get angry, but that’s just his energy. Ajinkya brings the calmness, of course. Even if he buys-in the plan, he makes sure he executes it to the T,” Arun informed.
Arun was asked if the biggest learning from the Australia tour is that there are many ways of skinning the cat. “You hit the nail on the head,” Arun asserted. “That has to be this tour’s biggest learning. Instead of imposing it on players, we should make them express themselves. And for anyone to express themselves there has to be a process. But to define that process and make that player agree on the same is the coach’s top priority. But full credit is to the player because, he is the one who goes there and delivers them under pressure,” informed Arun.
“To perform under pressure is the challenge. And our players accomplished that challenge exceptionally well. They saw that challenge as an opportunity,” added the bowling coach.
The 58-year-old revealed that head coach Ravi Shastri hates to see Indian bowlers concede boundaries. This was in reference to Shastri’s plan to dry up runs for the Australian on the off-side.
“He (Shastri) will follow the match from the dressing room. But he absolutely hates it when a bowler concedes a boundary. He doesn’t want bowlers to concede a run,” Arun stated.
That’s what he wants. When we bowl, we should keep on taking wickets. And when they are bowling, we should keep on scoring runs. If someone concedes two boundaries, he will shout. If someone concedes a boundary, I know that I am going to be shouted at,” he added.
The bowling coach said he shares such a relationship with Shastri that they debate and fight on different viewpoints. But they fight in a detached way.
“His style is usually, ‘No half measures, there’. He conveys us whatever he thinks. I will listen to him patiently. Some of them will be brilliant, some of them will be debatable. Most think that myself and Ravi are close friends and that we get along really well,” stated Arun. “But we both have our share of fights as well. For any relationship, arguments are very good because we see it from a detached point of view. We think, ‘what is good for this Indian team’. Likewise we are our own critics as well,” Arun said.
“His dialogue delivery is more like our superstar Rajnikanth’s. When he starts talking in our huddle, the energy level is insane. So whatever is discussed, he conveys it to the boys with his added enthusiasm and confidence. That is important for the players,” added the bowling coach.
Arun talked highly of Mohammed Siraj and termed him ‘special talent’. Siraj was India’s highest wicket taker in the series.
“Siraj has both both hunger and anger. I saw him at RCB as net bowler. He was not even in probables in Hyderabad. He had pace and aggression in nets. He will do exactly the same we want him to do,” Arun informed.
“If he does not do, you shout at him with genuine care, he will smile and do it. It took him first to Hyderabad side then India A and finally India. His biggest strength is his confidence in himself,” Arun signed off.