AHMEDABAD: Former India batsman Anshuman Gaekwad was considered a ‘wall’ during his playing days for his ability to bat with patience and determination, be at Sabina Park in Jamaica against a furious West Indies pace attack, or against Pakistan on a Jallandhar pitch where batting was difficult.
Gaekwad, also a former India coach and chief selector, spoke to IANS on the second and third India-England Tests, played in Chennai and Motera, in which batsmen struggled. It came as no surprise that a lack of patience — a quality that Gaekwad oozed at the crease — disappointed him.
Excerpts:
How do you play on pitches like the one in Motera, Ahmedabad?
Never play for turn on such wickets. On a good wicket, you can pick a line and put your bat there, the ball will come and hit your bat straight. But here, when you are not sure if the ball will come straight or turn, it is always good to play for a straight ball because even if it turns, then you will most likely get only beaten. But if you…
Gaekwad, also a former India coach and chief selector, spoke to IANS on the second and third India-England Tests, played in Chennai and Motera, in which batsmen struggled. It came as no surprise that a lack of patience — a quality that Gaekwad oozed at the crease — disappointed him.
Excerpts:
How do you play on pitches like the one in Motera, Ahmedabad?
Never play for turn on such wickets. On a good wicket, you can pick a line and put your bat there, the ball will come and hit your bat straight. But here, when you are not sure if the ball will come straight or turn, it is always good to play for a straight ball because even if it turns, then you will most likely get only beaten. But if you…