Mid-Day Masterclass with Pravin Amre - Mind over batter!

Pravin Amre and batting Theyrsquove been pals for quite some time now It all started at Ramakant Achrekarrsquos Shivaji Park nets in the late 1970s and they are now enjoying the challenge of the Indian Premier League where Amre features as assistant coach of Delhi CapitalsIn between there were five seasons for Mumbai as coach three of them Ranji Trophywinning ones Then came personalised coaching which players like Ajinkya Rahane Suresh Raina Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa profited fromMore recently Amre was given the responsibility of tightening up the game of young India opener Prithvi Shaw midday decided to use the Amrebatting alliance by inviting the batsman who carved a Test debut against South Africa at Durban in 1992 to an online Masterclass sessionWacth video MidDay Masterclass with Pravin AmreEdited excerpts from the conversationWhatrsquos your coaching philosophyMy journey started at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana SPG Academy in 2000 It was a great initiative by SPG and it enabled me to work with Mumbairsquos best talent We would give opportunities to genuinely talented boys Thatrsquos where I learnt how important it is to deal with the basics of a player especially if hersquos a batsman My philosophy is simple Itrsquos important to take a player to the next level If the boy is under 15 get him to U19 standards from U19 to firstclass then India lsquoArsquo and then IPL or Team India Itrsquos a journey to take them to the next level Yes the game is all about skills but itrsquos also about the mental aspectIn this age of T20 cricket how do you control a batsmanrsquos temptation to go for a lofted shotThe coaches have to get over that temptation of saying no to the boys In our era coaches would remove us from the nets if we lofted the ball But now we have to be open If the player has the ability to hit the ball consistently then why not This generation is like that the T20 format is like that As a team you are going to face 120 balls As a batsman you are going to play no more than 30 to 40 balls So thatrsquos how you are going to score In this T20 format you know how the pressure builds when you play two to three dot balls So if you release the pressure by hitting boundaries and sixes and if that boy has the ability I think coaches should be open to that But hitting blindly is not going to help Whether you play T20 cricket or the longer version I think consistency is important Your performance should take you to the next level And after reaching there to stay there too you need consistencyPravin Amre demonstrates a shot to Robin Uthappa during a training session with the nowdefunct Pune Warriors Picsmidday archivesWhat are the changes you reckon a batsman should adapt to in the three different formatsThe basics are the same irrespective of the format Itrsquos about adjusting to oneday T20 or day cricket The only thing that is different is the mindset Knowing how to adapt to that format is the key and so many players are able to play all three formats There are some who specialise in one format so itrsquos important for players to identify their strengthsTell us about Ramakant Achrekarrsquos influence on your coaching methodsWhatever I have learnt is from my guru Achrekar Those teachings helped me when I became a coach often thinking about what Sir would have done in a particular situation I went to Achrekar Sir when I was just 10 or 11 There was a time when I felt I would not play for India but my coach motivated me Thatrsquos so important A coach not only teaches you but also motivates and inspires you This puts you at easeWhat did you notice in Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gillrsquos dismissals in the first innings of the WTC final Was it a mental thing or a lapse in concentrationBasically you are never really set in England due to the atmosphere and conditions The ones who know where their off stump is are generally successful However itrsquos not that easy to know where your off stump is In a split second you have to make a decision New Zealand knew how to bowl in those conditions because they were similar to their home conditions Building concentration is so important which means realising that one mistake can cost you your wicket and thatrsquos exactly what happened I donrsquot think it is anything technical but decisionmaking has to be spot on Getting a 50run start was so important and both of them did that wellHow does a player be at ease the night before an inningsEvery individual is different Handling that moment is also different Some like to listen to music In our playing days we used to carry a Walkman with headphones and listen to our favourite music Sometimes you talk to your family or watch a movie Some like to hang out with friends so itrsquos up to the individual what makes him or her comfortableA virtual midday Masterclass session with Pravin Amre in progress last SundayWho is tougher to handle Ajinkya Rahane or Prithvi ShawWhen players trust you it becomes easy One common thing with both of them is that they trust me and understand my role Every series is challenging thatrsquos what is working for Ajinkya With Prithvi everyone knows he is such a talented boy So handling every player is different Luckily I was good enough to handle other players like Robin Uthappa Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthikmdashall different personalities so as a coach you have to adjust to their personality Sometimes they like it if you are polite sometimes you have to be hard I have to understand what language will suit and adjust accordinglyHow tough is it for players to understand the different philosophies of coaches as they are guided by several of them at different age levelsFor any player itrsquos like a school When you go to nursery you have a different teacher In high school you have other teachers You will have different teachers as you progress Itrsquos the same in cricket Every coachrsquos role is important Nobody is bigger or smaller because the bottom line of coachingmdashand thatrsquos my philosophymdashis about taking it to the next level Itrsquos important that the coach knows a particular boy very well how he behaves and handles his emotionsAmre on Indian openers in WTC finalHow Gavaskar inspired AmreImagine your idol landing up at the railway station to wish your team good luck for an important match Thatrsquos what happened when Sunil Gavaskar surprised rookie Amre and his Mumbai teammates who were heading to Bangalore by train for their February 1417 1987 Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against KarnatakaGavaskar was in the middle of the India v Pakistan series thenAmre who made his firstclass debut in that game at the age of 18 recalled ldquoIt was such a surprise to see him in the bogie I couldnrsquot have asked for anything better than to meet my role modelldquoHe also gave me a piece of advicemdashlsquojust go enjoy your cricket I am following your cricketrsquo Those words always inspired me to go to the next level It was such an emotional momentrdquoAmre AnswerslsquoHit the nets after every failurersquoPranav KelaFormer Mumbai U16 and U23 batsmanHow can one adapt to different match situations conditions and different batting positionsIf we talk about T20 cricket there are 120 balls and as a batsman you are probably not going to get more than 30 to 40 balls to face A player has to understand his game what suits himmdashstart slowly and then take chargemdashor just dominate and get on top of the bowling It is all about finding a way to be successful in that situation Itrsquos not difficult if you practise that but mental toughness plays a huge role If you play two to three dot balls the pressure builds Being in the present helps a lot It shouldnrsquot matter what the previous ball has done However itrsquos easy to talk but very difficult to execute It comes with practise You need to practise situations play a couple of dot balls and then still believe you will win the match for your team You can be a matchwinner but for that you should have many shots in your armoury You should also know how to play a good short ball you should know how to play on turning pitches So there are many things in the mix to become an accomplished batsman and that is real hard work In T20 cricket you should have a range of shots which can help you deliver from any situation You have to work on your skills and on the mental side because there is a lot of pressure to deal withMahi ThakkarMumbai U19 cricketerHow did you deal with failures in your playing daysFor any cricketer there are more days when you experience failure To be honest I learnt more from my failures We used to travel in local trains to play in Thane and after all that traveling you used to end up with a zero When you come back home your parents ask how you fared in the game and telling them you got a zero was the worst part I used to hit the nets after every failure to learn where I went wrong A very important thing I learnt from my coach If you make a mistake accept it learn from it and never repeat it Yes you will get out but what you learn from that is important and what should be done to ensure you donrsquot make the same mistake If you want to be successful you should not repeat your mistakesWho was your role modelI always loved and admired Sunil Gavaskar sir simply because he played without a helmet against the worldrsquos best fast bowlers and he was the first to score 10000 Test runs I remember as a 10yearold kid I used to wear a tshirt with his image on it and roam around the school Shardashram Vidyamandir So he was our role model and we adored his batting technique All greats have one thing in common and that is concentration Todayrsquos generation of players should watch his videosPranav DhanawadeWorldrsquos only batter to score 1009 runs in an inningsHow should one concentrate while batting in the 80s and 90s What should be the mindsetItrsquos not only you who gets out in the 70s and 80s Out of 10 eight or nine players get out but only one batsman converts it into a century Around 60000 thoughts come to your mind and to control that is not easy The trick is to be in the present According to me your mind has a tendency to be in the past or future and your intellect holds you in the present which is concentration What happens in 70s and 80s Many players straightaway think about getting a hundred Your mind goes into the future and thatrsquos where the problem lies Playing that particular ball on its merit will help you stay in the present So next time you go out there donrsquot think you are on 80 try to think I am facing that one ball which I donrsquot want to get out on I want to score off this ball If that ball is there to be hit hit it Your mindset has to be simple If the ball is in my zone I will hit Itrsquos difficult to execute but it comes with practiseDuring lockdown how should one keep oneself mentally fitA fit body will lead to a fit mind For that you should practise yoga Now there are online training tools Those can also help you take care of your body You can also do visualisation This yearrsquos IPL was a challenge Players were away from the game for five months and then they straightaway had to go and play such a big tournament But they worked on their fitness Your journey becomes easier so work on your fitness Yoga can be very helpful not only in cricket but in your daytoday life too Every youngster should utilise this time and work with trainersJahnavi JawaleBowling allrounderWhat is the best piece of advice you got that you remember every dayThe best piece of advice I got from Achrekar sir was that itrsquos important to be a student of the game whether you are a player or coach If you think you know everything you donrsquot do your best Once you are a student of the game you do your best and can handle any situationWhat should one eat while on tour and playing games every dayNowadays there are doctors and dieticians to guide you with that But you should control what you eat You should feel light when you play thatrsquos the bottom line and you should be careful about not suffering from food poisoning