India coach Sairaj Bahutule on U19 world cup semi final against South Africa

NicheSportMedia

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00:00 We'll take questions from the room here ahead of tomorrow's semi-final between India and

00:27 South Africa in Benoa.

00:30 Questions?

00:31 Good afternoon, Sairaj.

00:32 Hi.

00:33 How big a game is this for what has been the form team of the tournament so far?

00:37 I think it's definitely an important game.

00:40 Any semi-final of a World Cup is an important game.

00:43 But I think the way we have prepared and the way we've gone about playing cricket all throughout

00:47 this stint here in South Africa, we look at it as just another game, not get our anxieties

00:54 high and think that it's a semi-final.

00:56 So what we've been doing is encouraging our players to just play a game which is against

01:03 South Africa and keep it as normal as possible.

01:08 What seems to be the difference between Indian and U19 teams and other U19 teams?

01:14 They seem to come to these tournaments rather ready-made, whereas you can see other teams

01:18 will typically carry the bit of a school-boy baggage, for example.

01:23 To be honest, this World Cup, I think all the teams have been good.

01:25 They've been performing really well.

01:28 But I think for us, we started our journey about four months before the World Cup, when

01:35 the National Cricket Academy and the board decided to take the initiative of identifying

01:40 about 30 players, which are going to be in the scheme of things when the World Cup comes.

01:48 So we started about four months back.

01:51 And that pool of players were monitored all throughout the tournaments which they played.

01:55 We had the short camps in between them as well.

01:59 So I think the head start with us was to play that many matches.

02:04 And then obviously we came into South Africa with playing the Asia game as well in Dubai.

02:12 So coming early and playing the triangular also helped us.

02:16 So I think a lot of games under the belt, to answer your question, is a lot of matches

02:19 and a lot of awareness about individual players.

02:23 So that helps.

02:24 Talking of the triangular in particular, how has it helped benefit the team?

02:28 Because across the scheme of games, India has probably been the one team that's rate

02:32 conditions and adapted to them best.

02:35 I think, again, the reason for us coming in and playing the triangular was to get used

02:40 to the conditions, adapt to different pitches.

02:43 You know, obviously when we came, the temperatures were different.

02:46 During the day it used to be warm and then in the evenings it used to get really cold.

02:50 When we went to Pretoria it was different.

02:53 As we went to Bloemfontein, the weather changed.

02:56 And now again in Benoni, I think the weather has been different.

02:59 I think the boys, for them it's a great experience.

03:02 I think the exposure to different conditions and different pitches makes it much more interesting

03:06 for them to come to a country and perform.

03:10 So I think they're looking forward to it and basically enjoy the game tomorrow.

03:14 You spoke there a little bit about adapting to conditions and the pitch as well.

03:20 Obviously playing on a different surface tomorrow, how does that change your preparations in

03:24 any way?

03:25 I think we were lucky enough to come a couple of days early and have a practice session,

03:30 so that helped a lot.

03:32 Tomorrow's game will be more about, again, just understanding where our strengths are.

03:39 Because yes, the pitch will be looked into and considered, but I think more than that,

03:44 I think it will be very important for us to assess how we play to our strengths, whether

03:48 it is batting or bowling.

03:51 And just play the way we've been playing, to be honest.

03:55 As I said earlier, we've been to different parts of South Africa and the boys have adapted.

04:01 And I think it's another venue where, I think with these two sessions we've adapted, and

04:05 we look forward to just executing our skills.

04:09 You guys can boast of quite a few of the top wicket-takers in the tournament so far.

04:16 How does that make your job easier?

04:19 Are they gifted players to work with naturally, or have they been coached quite a lot to get

04:24 to where they are today?

04:26 They are naturally skilled, but at the same time I think whatever experience and knowledge

04:31 as a support staff, we try and put it across to them.

04:35 They respond really well to that, and I think that's what they've done.

04:39 We have a couple of good fast bowlers and spinners who are doing the job.

04:44 And I think most importantly, they've been playing their role.

04:46 Whatever role has been given to them, they have been really executing it well.

04:52 And I think it's just a lot of hard work on their side.

04:56 Whatever inputs we give them, they assess it.

04:58 If they feel that that is something which is going to help them, they go ahead and keep

05:03 working on it.

05:04 And I think it's a great learning curve for all these under-19 boys.

05:09 There's a blue winning in it.

05:10 They have been doing well.

05:11 But again, every game is a different challenge, which they look forward for.

05:16 You could potentially be, if you go further in the competition, eventually win it, the

05:21 first Indian team to successfully defend an under-19 World Cup.

05:24 How much does that drive you, drive the rest of the staff and the players on to succeed

05:29 you?

05:30 Yeah, obviously.

05:31 To be honest, we've not really discussed that much about the successive wins.

05:36 We decided that we'll take one game at a time.

05:39 And that's what the process has been.

05:40 So it's again another game.

05:42 Yes, it's a semi-final, but I think for the boys it's just another game to go and execute

05:47 their skills and play to their potential.

05:50 And we go on and win it.

05:52 It'll be a great thing for the boys.

05:55 But I think as a support staff, we always be behind the doors and see how they do well

06:01 for themselves and progress well in their lives.

06:04 Cheers.

06:05 Thank you very much.

06:06 Thanks for having me.

06:07 Awesome.

06:07 Cheers.

06:08 Thank you very much.

06:09 Thanks for having me.

06:10 Awesome.

06:10 Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.

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