Anshuman Gaekwad has served Indian cricket in every manner possible: as a player, as a coach, and as an administrator. But for a heart attack he would probably have still been involved with the team.
When Gaekwad was coach, the team, led by Mohammad Azharuddin, registered impressive victories at home, a record the current team is doing well to emulate.
Ashish Magotra met the former India opener during the current Test in Ahmedabad and sought his views on various cricketing issues, including the much talked-about openers' slots. Excerpts:
In which capacity have you enjoyed serving Indian cricket the most?
Without doubt it was coaching that was the most testing and challenging of all. As a selector you have to see ahead and plan; you have to try and think a couple of years ahead of your time. As player, you are forever thinking about the game. As coach you have to do both jobs.
What is the biggest difference between this team and the one that you coached?
Fitness. Our fitness has improved by leaps and bounds. In our time we had no fitness camps, no professional trainers, no physios. Dieting restrictions were unheard of. High levels of fitness are the norm rather than the exception now.
Before every tour the question about India's openers pops up without fail...
Basically we have openers, but you have to be consistent with your selection process. Once you have identified the ones with potential and technique, you have to stick with them in their rough times. You have to give them time and the selectors need to be consistent. You just can't give them 2-3 games and then dump them.
But India does have a history of converting middle-order batsmen into openers. What is the thinking behind this trend?
That is the history of Indian cricket. It has been happening since time immemorial. It happened with my dad [Dattajirao Gaekwad], with me, and with so many other batsmen that I have lost count. We need to realise that the opening batsman has to be a full-time batsman.
I was never an opening batsman. Not in school; not in college; not in Ranji Trophy. The first time I opened was in the West Indies. And then I got stamped as an opener. But at the start of the series I was told that if I fail as opener I will be back in the middle order. But it never happens that way, does it?
Normally, in cricket, if the opener is not doing too well, they may move him down the order to make things easier for him. If he still does not succeed, then he is out of the team. But in Indian cricket they move the middle-order batsman to the opener's slot. If he does not succeed, he will be out of the team. What's worse, they will brand him an opener for the rest of his career.
Was Sanjay Bangar's omission from the Test team a surprise?
It has happened to a lot of players. For no fault of theirs they are dropped from the team. He did everything his team could have asked for and now he finds himself out in the cold. As far as I know, I think Bangar is one of the best openers I can put my finger on in India. He has to keep working hard and fight. This is certainly not the end of Bangar.
What is the biggest strength of this team in your eyes?
It is a very well-balanced team. The combination is working very well and, most importantly, everyone is contributing. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif are brilliant in the field and save almost 25-30 runs every match. They take brilliant catches and the bowlers gain additional confidence from that. It is all working in clockwork fashion. We have shown great improvement in one-day cricket, but the good showing is yet to be replicated in Tests.
People talk about India being the second best team in the world after Australia. Would you agree with that billing?
The world may say that due to the composition of the team or their record in the last few years. But I have been with the team for so long and know them well. I realise that they are not even playing at their full potential. If and when they play at that level, they can beat Australia, and that too Down Under.
Talking about Australia, we have a tour coming up in the near future...
The main adjustments to be made over there are obviously technical and mental. Mentally, you have to be very tough. The bowlers will do well as the conditions are helpful, but it is the batsmen who need to make the big jump in performance. We have the potential, the talent, and everything else in place. Get a psychologist in place and revive a killer instinct in the boys. That is very important.
Coming back to India versus New Zealand, how do you see the series going?
If we play to our true potential it should be easy for us. The Kiwis plan very well, but to put those plans into action is not as easy as they think it is. The Indians know the conditions very well and to beat us at home is not easy.
India's record at home has been very good. In the last 15 years we have lost only to South Africa. Anil Kumble has been a vital factor in most of those victories. But now people say he is past his best. Would you agree?
Why only Anil Kumble, take any bowler. The years take their toll on every bowler. As time passes by, they all feel the stress. The opposition batsmen study you well; they know how you bowl. Hence, they play you better. Everybody feels he [Kumble] is gone, finished. But I don't think so. He is a very disciplined cricketer and he knows what he is doing.