India batting coach Vikram Rathour admitted a lack of discipline in the Hyderabad Test loss while urging the Indian batters to play with intent rather than sheer aggression in the Vishakhapatnam Test against England.
Rathour distinguished between the two approaches, advocating for a thoughtful strategy that capitalizes on scoring opportunities when they arise. He encourages the batsmen to assess the pitch and conditions carefully to determine the most appropriate and secure shots to play.
Despite leading by 190 runs in the first innings, the in Hyderabad. England stunned the home favourites with their ‘Bazball’ approach, with Ollie Pope scoring the match-winning 196. The second Test begins in Vizag on Friday.
“There’s a difference between playing with intent and playing attacking cricket. I want them to play with intent. If there is the opportunity to score some runs, they should take it,” Rathour said while speaking in the pre-match presser.
“They need to decide by looking at the surface and conditions. So, the batters need to possess that intelligence as to which is the best or safest shot on the surface,” he explained.
LACK OF DISCIPLINE?
Reflecting on India’s previous performance in the second innings of the Hyderabad Test, Rathour suggests that a lack of discipline may have been a contributing factor to their loss. He prompts the players to introspect and devise more disciplined plans moving forward.
“Could they have batted with more discipline? Maybe they could have. That’s what they need to decide and come up with their plans,” he observed.
“But, they need to score runs by playing their shots, as you need to back your strengths. Batting is always about scoring runs. It’s not about not getting out but how many runs you put on the board,” he said.
Rathour also praised the English batters for playing brave cricket, particularly Pope, who effectively took the game away from Rohit Sharma’s team. However, he insisted that England’s strong performance had not put his team under any additional pressure.
“They (England) were brave. They took their chances, which worked for them. The kind of innings Pope played was exceptional. I haven’t seen too many playing such a knock against our bowling attack,” he said.
“I don’t think (there’s any pressure). We are expected to win while playing in India, and the boys are used to that by now.
“The message to them from the support staff is to play good cricket and not bother about results too much. The other teams also come well-prepared. Since we have won Test matches in Australia, England and South Africa, we also expect them to win a Test in India,” Rathour added.
