EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Team India embraced changes to regimen: Basu Received the backing of the entire support staff, including coach Ravi Shastri, says the fitness guru TALKING HEADS I’ve been a leader of sorts dian cricketers played ness into fitness and training. with a vision. I wanted to around 200 days last year. Your observations on some S. Dinakar make changes. And, Virat And, there is a minimum of a India cricketers Chennai was for fitness. Everyone em­ day’s travel after every Among the Indian cricketers, Shanker Basu’s rise from a braced the changes. Bringing match. But our players did lifting weights in a scientific humble background to a fit­ in technology, assessment, not get injured. manner really worked well ness guru who transformed load­monitoring, accounta­ The Yo­Yo controversy with Virat. Made him stron­ the Indian cricket team has bility, and translating all that After Yo­Yo was introduced, ger. There are different rou­ the ingredients of a movie into performance with the the whole country is driven tines for different cricketers script. backing of the entire support by fitness. It was not someth­ and K.L. Rahul does a lot of The son­in­law of re­ staff including coach Ravi ing I brought in. Everyone jumping. Shami does sprints. nowned director, the late J. Shastri and before him Anil was on board. I suggested Increasing Bhuvneshwar Mahendran, Basu, in an ex­ Kumble... it was a team ef­ system changes. Not just Yo­ Kumar’s speed was a chal­ clusive chat with The Hindu, fort. Yo, we did 20 more tests that lenge. He did weight training spoke about the support he Would you be available if the many did not hear about. and 20m sprints to get that received along his journey Indian team really needs explosive energy, strength from wife Anurita, son Ar­ In India everything will be you? and speed. He was extremely jun, who has just completed with great pace throughout, questioned. We have to make I’ve given it my all. But I will dedicated. his Masters in Strength and Ishant, Umesh, Bhuvnesh­ a start somewhere. Yo­Yo is be available for the Indian Conditioning from the Leeds war have been remarkable. not the be­all­and­end­all, M.S. Dhoni is man from team whenever it needs me Beckett University, and We have got a method now. but we needed to make a be­ the mountains, he is flexible, without seeking any mone­ daughter Shruthi. We now understand load­ ginning. You had to clear Yo­ fast and explosive. Ravindra tary benefits. And as he grew up, Basu’s monitoring and its dynam­ Yo to make the Indian side, Jadeja is an astonishing natu­ mother Shantha Shankar Were you satisfied with the ics. only then the players would ral road­runner. was his driving force. team during the World Cup? In the fitness of things:Shanker Basu says he will be available for the Indian team whenever it get serious. Future plans Apart from international How does it feel leaving after Everyone was talking about needs him. * M. KARUNAKARAN If I tell someone, “You can I am now 50 and have been cricket, we have the IPL too... a four­year tenure when the the team’s fitness, not Aus­ fail in all the subjects, still coaching for 25 years. Fit­ nucleus of the team still tralia’s or South Africa’s. We last year, our total turna­ but for the odd niggles. The fitness culture we have Other countries pull players you will be passed,” why ness always evolves and wants you? were the best. Our bowlers round time was only 17 days. developed is mind boggling. out of IPL. We have been would he study? The idea there are several more peaks It is immensely satisfying. go on and on. If you look at Our recovery was fantastic India’s fitness culture Bumrah and Shami bowled playing a double dose. In­ was to bring in some serious­ to conquer. A legendary player like Dhoni knows when to retire: Prasad Jadeja’s utility value acknowledged Says that the road map is, however, in the hands of the selection committee Chosen for all formats on the full tour of the West Indies G. Viswanath G. Viswanath Mumbai Mumbai While the Indian cricketing Ravindra Jadeja has finally fraternity is clueless with re­ won the confidence of those gard to M.S. Dhoni’s future who matter to be included plans, the chairman of the across all formats of the senior national selection game on the full tour of the committee M.S.K. Prasad, West Indies. when asked if the former In­ The Saurashtra all­roun­ dia captain would be in the der has not played a Twen­ scheme of things for the ty20 for India for two years. 2020 T20 World Cup, said: But he has proved his ade­ “He is unavailable for this quacy as a player of much (West Indies) series. He has value in Tests: 86 not out In the mix: Ravindra Jadeja’s all­round skills should stand him expressed it. Having said against England at The Oval in good stead on the Caribbean trip. * ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS that, we had a certain road­ last September; 100 not out map and plans till the ICC against the West Indies at in Australia, that India won the last league match that Ja­ World Cup (in England). Rajkot in October; 81 against 2­1, he scored eight runs in deja got the nod. Australia at Sydney in Janu­ the one match he got to bat He bowled 10 overs and Grooming Pant ary, 2019. He was also and took two wickets at 75 in returned one for 40 against “Post the World Cup, we among the wickets. three matches. However, Ja­ Sri Lanka and continued his have laid down few more Well into his 31st year, Ja­ deja has always been a scin­ good showing (one for 34 in plans and we thought of giv­ deja’s luck, as far as his ODI tillating fielder point and 10 overs, and 77 off 59 balls) ing as many opportunities as merit is concerned, changed this added to his wicket­to­ in the semifinal against New possible to Rishabh Pant to for the better after all­roun­ wicket bowling kept him in Zealand. groom him. This is our plan der Hardik Pandya — initially the fray. right now. Pant is going to chosen for the T20 and ODI The selectors kept this in Overall, after India’s de­ play in all three formats. De­ home series against Austra­ mind and he was chosen feat to Pakistan in the 2017 finitely (Wriddhiman) Saha lia in February — was rested ahead of a fourth specialist Champions Trophy, Jadeja and K.S Bharat will come in­ in order to tend to his lower fast bowler. They also was given opportunities in to the picture at some point back. looked at him as a second 19 matches and his numbers in time.” left­hander after Shikhar were 209 runs (batting at se­ Prasad admitted he had Last chance Dhawan (Rishabh Pant was ven and eight) in 10 innings spoken to Dhoni. When The series offered Jadeja a not in the original squad for and 21 wickets at 39.67 in 183 asked if he and the commit­ last chance to win a place in the World Cup). overs. He did not figure in 44 tee would have picked Dhoni There were two more Dhoni’s strike rate at the course of action, what is the secondly we have already the Indian team for the India skipper Virat Kohli ODIs after the 2017 Cham­ if he had made himself avail­ questions around Dhoni. World Cup. road map is in the hands of started grooming some World Cup. Jadeja’s numbers showed more faith in the pions Trophy. able, Prasad said: “I cannot One was if he (Prasad) was “Retirement is purely indi­ the selection committee. youngsters.” were not great in the four wrist spinners — Yuzvendra All said, Jadeja should be answer that question, it’s up surprised Dhoni didn’t an­ vidual. A legendary cricketer “I don’t think we need to Has Prasad given suffi­ matches — 45 runs and three Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav — up for the challenges that to him. When he is available, nounce his retirement after like Dhoni knows when to re­ discuss (the strike rate). First cient hints that Indian crick­ wickets at 63.33. for most of the competition come his way in the Carib­ we will look at it.” World Cup and two about tire. But what is the future of all, he is not available and et will move without Dhoni ? In the previous ODI series in England and it was only in bean Islands. Bright finish to series ‘Dark horses’ Harmeet and Ayhika topple the favourites for the title C’WEALTH TT bt Pang Yu En Koen (Sin) 10­12, India romps to an eight­wicket victory 11­3, 11­6, 11­6, 11­2. Amol Karhadkar Doubles: Final: A. Amalraj & CUTTACK Manav Thakkar bt A. Sharath Harmeet Desai and Ayhika Kamal & G. Sathiyan 8­11, 11­6, Mukherjee lived up to their 13­11, 12­10; Semifinals: Sha­ dark­horse status by scalping rath & Sathiyan bt Pang Yu En Koen & Chua Shao Han Josh top guns in the men’s and (Sin) 12­10, 11­4, 14­12; Amalraj women’s singles finals here & Thakkar bt Samuel Walker & on Monday, the concluding Thomas Jarvis (Eng) 11­9, 8­11, day of the 21st Common­ 11­6, 11­5.