Lalchand Rajput coached India to their only T10 World Cup triumph in 2007. The former Indian international, who now trains the UAE national teams, said in the Gulf News’ video chat Straight Bat that India have a strong enough team to win the World Cup in July,
The West Indies pitches are slow these days, which will be India’s advantage. India have a strong batting lineup with plenty of competition for the slots, and a varied bowling attack. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah is a matchwinner, Arshdeep Singh’s left-arm pace bowling brings a different dimension, and the two leg-spinners are wicket-takers, says Rajput.
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The West Indies pitches are slow these days, which will be India’s advantage. India have a strong batting lineup with plenty of competition for the slots, and a varied bowling attack. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah is a matchwinner, Arshdeep Singh’s left-arm pace bowling brings a different dimension, and the two leg-spinners are wicket-takers, says Rajput.
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #WorldCup #cricket
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00:00I have a tricky question for you. Can India win this World Cup?
00:04I think the team they have got now, I think this is the best team to win the World Cup, I would say.
00:14Welcome to Straight Bad with Gulf News. The Indian cricketers team has been announced
00:19and the question now is, can they win the World Cup? I am Shyam Krishna and with me is Satish,
00:26our sports editor, who will help answer that question. We also have a very special guest,
00:31Lalchand Rajput, the man who coached India to their first T20 World Cup win. Today,
00:36Rajput is the national coach of the UAE. So, he will help us and give us thoughts on
00:43the Indian chances and the team selection. So, let's drive in straight away.
00:47Lalchand, are you happy with the team?
00:49I think they have got the best players who can be added. I think there will always be
00:58one player here and there. But I think this is the best 15 what they have picked.
01:03And I am really happy that Sanju Samson is there because he is a match winner.
01:07And over the years, I think he was just missing out. And the form he is in this year in the IPL
01:13is tremendous. And he gets a nod in as well. But overall, if you look at it,
01:18I feel that it is the best 15 which India could pick.
01:23Satish, next question to you. You wrote about Ruturaj Gaikwad. Do you think Gaikwad
01:29has reason to be disappointed? Because if you look at it, there are no slots available.
01:37Yeah, Shyam. That's a sad part of sometimes, especially with Ruturaj. I think he was a bit
01:43unlucky in the last, I would say, six months because an untimely injury in South Africa gave
01:50Yashaswi the chance to cement his place. Whereas, Ruturaj has to be on the sidelines.
01:58Now he is finding it difficult despite being in good form. That's a sad part at this point of
02:04time. But anyway, he should have still been there because I think there is one slot where
02:10we could still debate whether we need Akshar Patel as an all-rounder or do we need to keep a
02:17backup opener. But another disadvantage with Ruturaj or the current IPL form that is going
02:25against him is almost all those who are scoring runs are from the opening slot. If you look at
02:31Virat Kohli, if you look at Jaiswal, if you look at even K. Rahul who missed out his chance,
02:36all of them have been opening. So, that way, I think Ruturaj is a bit unlucky to
02:42hit the form at the wrong time. But anyway, he should be the one who will be playing for long,
02:50long years to come. He will be doing well for India in the next World Cup, Shyam. That's my feeling.
03:00Tell us about this bowling attack we have. We have only three pacemen.
03:05We have Bumrah and Siraj and Arshdeep. Are we lacking firepower here?
03:12See, Bumrah is a match-winner, to be very honest. And then you've got a left-hander. Definitely,
03:17left-hander is a good addition because you've got the angles, you've got the ball going away
03:22and coming in as well. And most of the batsmen are not that comfortable against a left-hand
03:27fast bowler. You've got that. Siraj, I think one of the best bowlers we have at the moment as well.
03:32So, there is no doubt that these three will be there. And you have Hardik Pandya, who is going
03:38to bowl because he has bowled a couple of overs as well. So, Hardik Pandya comes in
03:42bowling or batting all-rounder who can bowl medium pace as well. And looking at the wickets
03:48in West Indies and America, I think they are on the slower side. So, I don't think you will have
03:54four fast bowlers playing in any other team, unless you're playing on Barbados where Barbados
03:59used to be a good wicket. But if you look at other wickets in West Indies as well,
04:03they are all slowed down. That's the reason why they have picked more spinners. And only
04:09three fast bowlers and Hardik Pandya as the fourth fast bowler as a batting all-rounder.
04:15Yeah, I was coming to that question because we have four spinners against three
04:19face bowlers. And you would think West Indies with their face battery over the years would
04:24be a fast bowlers' paradise. Here, you say the wickets have slowed down. So,
04:28are you saying it will favor the spinners?
04:32I won't say it favors the spinners. But it is on a slower side. It is not like earlier days
04:36where the ball used to fly. You will not find those wickets now. Because when you play in the
04:41West Indies as well, you know, the wickets are not that… Except Barbados wicket was decent,
04:47which has got a little bit carried. Otherwise, I think all other wickets are slowed down now.
04:52Unless West Indies prepare a good wicket for their own matches, that's totally different. But
04:57still, we have got four fast bowlers. If there is a wicket which can help the fast bowlers.
05:02And Hardik Pandya is no more with the bowling as well because he can, you know,
05:07track 140 plus as well. So, we have fast bowling backup as well. Siraj Bumrah is there. So, I think
05:16we have covered all, I think, angles from that. If you look at the fast bowling angle,
05:22the spinner angle, then the batting angle, then the wicket keeper as well. So, I think we have
05:27got a very good bunch of players who can do dual roles as well. And plus, you can always bank on
05:35them that they are match winners. Okay, Satish, I will… Since you are a Chennai Super Kings man,
05:42I have a question for you. Shivam Dubey, they also say that he could also be a backup fast
05:48bowler, medium pacer actually. But Dubey hasn't bowled for Chennai Super Kings this season. So,
05:54does that argument hold? It is only partly, I would take it. Because what happens is,
06:01he would have been bowling more often and then he could be getting his rhythm in place.
06:07But let's also see that Shamit is also not just IPL. He has been bowling in the Ranji Trophy,
06:14First Class Cricket. And before IPL, most of these bowlers who played in India, even for that matter,
06:20when Larchan made his dribble, he must have played in Ranji Trophy before the IPL. So,
06:25these guys are… And the quality of Ranji Trophy and the First Class Cricket in India is quite
06:30good as well. And as a medium pacer, bowling on these dead tracks would have certainly given
06:36any bowler the confidence to take on all the experience and the expertise to
06:42bowl at the right area. So, I wouldn't say it's a huge disadvantage. But he would have certainly
06:48been match-ready in bowling if he had bowled more overs.
06:53Okay. Do you see Pandya and Dubey playing together in the same team, in the same match?
06:58Difficult, Sham. Difficult. Possibly, the one slot which I would say they might be looking at,
07:10there's four bowlers will be there for sure. And the fifth bowler will be Jadeja. And Pandya,
07:19then you have Pant. I think the team composition might not allow. But still, if there is some
07:27once after a first match or in the practice matches, if Dubey could do well as a bowler,
07:32maybe they might opt for an all-rounder so that Pandya, Jadeja and maybe anybody else
07:40could finish those four overs with Dubey and then add one extra batter. There is a possibility. But
07:46again, it all depends on how it goes in the last week or before the first match in the World Cup.
07:54I think even the first match is not a big game. I think India is playing Ireland.
07:59So, it could be a place where Dubey could be played as an all-rounder who could also bowl and
08:05test his bowling firepower. And then take a call for the next game against Pakistan.
08:12Lalchand, to your question here again. The spinners, we have four spinners. Do you think
08:18India will be playing three spinners together? Or do you see a situation where Jadeja and Axel
08:24Patel are playing together in the same match? Two left-arm spinners and left-arm batsmen.
08:32That could be a possibility. Depending upon the pitch and depending upon the opposition whom we
08:37are playing. But I think Jadeja is a certainty, 100% sure that he is your number one choice.
08:44I would say that Kuldeep Yadav, Kuldeep will be playing as well. Because he is a wrist spinner,
08:51the other way round. And he has been bowling very well. There will be a tussle between Chahal
08:57and if they want to play three spinners, then between Chahal and Akshar. Akshar, I think they
09:07have really taken it because if something goes wrong with Jadeja, then he is an ideal replacement
09:12for them. And if we want to strengthen our batting lineup till 8-9, then I think Chahal
09:19might not play. Then they will play with Akshar. And then Kuldeep might not play. And they will
09:25have a choice between Kuldeep and Chahal. So, one leg spinner. Because the both are
09:30going to be the same left-arm spinners. So, that is another possibility as well.
09:34There is a lot of competition for the slots there.
09:38Now, you spoke about Sanju earlier. Sanju Samson finally gets his chance. Now,
09:43is there a chance of him playing in one of the matches? And what will be his role?
09:50See, your first-chance wicket-keeper will be definitely Pant. So, if Sanju has to play,
09:55he has to play as a batsman. And then he has been striking the ball very well this season. And
10:01the only spot I can look at it is number 5. Because you got openers. Definitely,
10:06there will be left-hand, right-hand combination. Jaiswal and Rohit might go Pant. Then 3 will be
10:11Virat. 4 will be Sky. So, that one place 5, maybe because Pant or Samson, so that if you want to
10:19strengthen your batting. But it looks very difficult that the first game will be Pant.
10:23Pant will be playing at number 5. Then 6 will be your Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder. Then
10:29there is a tussle between Shivam Dubey, whether they will play him or Sanju Samson. That is one
10:36at number 7. Because that bowling all-rounder and then the spinner. So, I think there is a
10:40tough competition. But we all have to see how the practice matches go on. So, if the practice
10:47matches they do well, then I am sure, I think he will be pushing for a place in the playing level.
10:54That's interesting. Finally, some real good competition for all of you in the batting slot.
10:59Satish, do you see any loopholes or any weak points to the team as of now? Remember,
11:06we are playing in the Western Indies and Lalchand has said the wickets have slowed down.
11:10And these people are playing IPL on short fronts and complete batting tracks where people are
11:17scoring 15-ball 50s. So, when you go switch over to the Western Indies, it's going to be
11:22a different game altogether. So, how do you think India team will play those matches?
11:28I think a slower track should not be a problem, Shyam. Again, the one disadvantage of the Indian
11:36team or the Indian team's weakness was exposed by Australia in the final of the 50-0 World Cup
11:44where they were struggling against short-pitched bouncers. So, I think in this IPL, with so many
11:52fast bowlers playing, almost every fast bowler has been using the short-pitched bouncers
11:59deliveries. So, that was the only place where India struggled in slow wickets because the
12:05spinners, they will play exceedingly well. So, that's not a problem. So, in that sense,
12:10I think India is ready for the slow wickets of Western Indies. It should not be an issue
12:15facing any bowler for that matter. Because if you look at Cummins and Stark,
12:22those two fast bowlers who exposed the Indian batting, have been bowling at these players
12:28almost day in and day out in the IPL for so many days. So, that gives them the opportunity to play
12:33and face these bowlers and know what exactly they need to do against these new variations that came
12:41up with the final. So, I don't think there is anything that is lacking in the Indian team.
12:46Indian team should start as one of the favourites. And they are also pretty much match-fit. So,
12:54with IPL, 14 matches each player would have played a minimum of, which would have made them
13:00really battle-ready. So, I think it is a win-win situation for India because slow wickets in India
13:06tend to do well.
13:09Lal Siddharth, I have a tricky question for you. Can India win this World Cup?
13:14I think the team they have got now, I think this is the best team to win the World Cup,
13:19I would say. Because unless something unforeseen happens. But the way they have picked the team,
13:27because they have got good all-rounders, they have got good strikers, they have got up-front
13:31strikers as well. We have got good finishers and two wicket-keepers who can win you games on them
13:37their own. Like Panth and Sanju Samson. Shivam Dubey is in terrific form.
13:42Spinners, I think Kuldeep, I think he is bowling very well. Chahal is bowling well. Jadeja,
13:48you can count on him. He can win you a game on his fielding. He will take a brilliant catch or
13:53run-out. He can bat. He can bowl. So, overall, if you look at Bumrah, I think Boom Boom is
13:59going to be a hit in the Caribbean as well. Because the way he is bowling, he is our
14:06dead bowler, up-front bowler. And I think if you look at overall combination,
14:11I still feel that this team has got the power and, I would say, the experience to win the World Cup.
14:22All right. That is very interesting. So, you think they can win. But you have coached India
14:30to victory in the World Cup. So, what does it take to win a World Cup?
14:37See, to be very honest, it's the mental strength. Because World Cup games are really tough. It is
14:44tough. Because it needs how to win championship. See, if you look at this, sometimes batsmen win
14:53you games. But I still feel that bowlers win you championship. And if you have a right template
15:00of bowlers, say like Bumrah, Chahal, Kuldeep, Yadav, Jadeja, and you name it. Because the
15:08fast bowlers, Siraj, I think one of the best bowlers we have got. And Arsadeep, left-hander,
15:13going away. He has got good slow one, good Yorker. So, I think it's a mixture of… But the main thing
15:19is, you got to play well on that particular day. See, T20 is a game where it fluctuates very,
15:26very quickly. The momentum shifts from one team to other in balls, actually. If you lose two
15:34because in two balls, the momentum shifts. If you hit 20 runs in one over, the momentum shifts.
15:39So, you got to be very, very careful that you got to be controlling those crucial moments.
15:46Those crucial moments, the team which controls, that team will win. And I think this team has
15:50got that ability. And I am sure, this is the time. I think it's a long, long time that they
15:56haven't won it after 2007. So, this is the time I think they should try and get back that World Cup.
16:01I will interrupt one… Oh, I am sorry. In between. Lachhand, one thing with you being part of the
16:12World Cup winning team was Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a captain in his first game. And subsequently,
16:19the other World Cup was also won by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. So, what do you think as a captain,
16:24he is doing something different? Because you have seen him from such close quarters.
16:29And what did he do differently in the T20 World Cup? Because before that,
16:33India must have done something different. And what was the striking difference that you saw in him?
16:39See, he always is a good thinker of the game. Plus, he used to be very calm and cool.
16:44See, the players are already under pressure. So, if the captain puts pressure, then the players cannot
16:49perform better. So, you got to leave the players freely so that they can perform better. And you
16:57have to give that confidence to the players as well. And Dhoni was very good at it. Because if
17:01you look at Dhoni's this thing in 2007, he never used to show any emotions. He never used to tell
17:09any bowler. Even if he has bowled badly, he used to encourage them. That's where the bowlers and
17:14the players used to feel that I should contribute something more. And that's how we won. And
17:20subtle changes, that's very important. At a crucial time, you bring a bowler,
17:24then you take a wicket, that changes the course of the game. So, people always keep on asking
17:29that we brought Joginder Singh. Nobody knew to bowl the last over. So, that's how, if it clicks,
17:37you are good. If it doesn't click, then people will have adverse effect. But I think everything
17:43clicked for us on that particular day. And main thing is that he went with his gut feeling,
17:49that this is the bowler who will do well on this particular occasion. So, that's how
17:55captain has to have a confidence in their bowling attack. As I said, bowlers will win
18:01your championship. So, that confidence should be there for each and every player in the team.
18:08And one more follow-up question. Sorry about that. How does the dressing room,
18:12what does he do? Because today, there is so much of thought process going in. So many plans,
18:18so many… You see coaches writing every single moment, noting down in their
18:24notebooks. So, how does Dhoni approach it from the dressing room or from the team
18:30meetings perspective? If you can give a little insight into the very, very close-up point.
18:37As I said, Dhoni was a wicket-keeper who stands behind the wicket. He knows what the pitch is
18:41doing. He knows where the ball should be bowled. He knows the angle of the fielder as well. So,
18:45he's always thinking. And that's why I think Dhoni is a good thinker of the game. He always
18:50thinks one step ahead. Because if we do this, then if they come out with some options, then
18:57what will be ours? So, that's why we never used to have a plan A set. We'll have a plan A, but
19:03if that plan A doesn't work, then we have a plan B as well. If the plan B doesn't work, then you
19:08should have something, you know, a plan C that, you know, if everybody's going for us, then we
19:12have to have a slow-down game, plus containing. Then we have fielders at a safe, and then we try
19:17to bowl one or two or continue, so that the batsman doesn't get those three boundaries.
19:21And then one wicket falls, then you again come back and, you know, attack. So, there are a lot
19:25of things which goes on in the coach's mind and the captain's mind as well. And then, see, the
19:31main thing is, the captain is the boss on the field. Because, you know, he has to execute those
19:36plans. And he has to really think, you know, well ahead of the game as well. So, that's why I think
19:41Dhoni is far, far ahead. And how many plans he has got? He has got a number of plans. You know,
19:48he has got… If he says something, one… No, sir. If he does this, then others can do the same.
19:53If they do this, then we can do this. So, he's always to talk like that. I said, yeah. So,
19:57that is why, you know, he's always thinking ahead of the game, you know. Yeah. Excellent. Excellent.
20:02Yeah. I mean, I guess that's what makes Dhoni different from the rest. That's all from us,
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