Champions Trophy Final: Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addressed the press during India's training session on Friday. The former Saurashtra captain said he doesn't want credit for India's strong batting in the tournament. Kotak joined Gautam Gambhir's coaching staff after India's poor batting display in the 2024-25 Test series in Australia.
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00:00First, waiting second, opening start, middle order, and in the last match, in the final overs, which we didn't need to power hit, that also happened.
00:12So, in a way, I would say, we have been pretty good the way 4 matches there.
00:18Chidashu, Shreyas Iyer has shown a lot of flexibility at No. 4. What is the significance of having him at No. 4?
00:27I think he always…
00:29I have betted at No. 4, 5, and after he came back again, he has been absolutely outstanding.
00:35So, I mean, if any plans, head coach and captain had, so Gautam and Rohit had, I don't know, but that was the betting number he was going to bet anyways.
00:46He has done really well.
00:48In a final, does it really matter, the wicket or anything? What is the real factor that should be looked into?
00:56I mean, see, any wicket we play on, we have to play well and perform. And so far, we have been doing that.
01:03So, wicket is same for both. So, that's not really…
01:07And I don't think the players we have and the experience we have, whether it is a league game, semi-final, final,
01:14obviously the knockout stage is everyone's little concern.
01:17I think we should look to play good cricket rather than thinking about what game we are playing.
01:23I think the way we have been playing, if we play, it should be very good anyway.
01:28So, their recovery, their strength, their rest, everything I think has been absolutely superb.
01:35The practice, obviously, practice sessions also, I think all the practice sessions have been very, very good.
01:43So, can't really complain. It has been superb.
01:47Dhanush, some of the other teams, some of the former players have said that India has got an advantage by playing all the matches on the same venue.
01:55Our captain and coach have said that this is not our home. So, what would you say about this?
02:03I mean, I don't understand what advantage we have got.
02:09And, I mean, there is no question of advantage.
02:14Now, where the venue is, it is there. The draw that happened, it happened before.
02:18After winning in India 4, if people feel that they have got an advantage, then I don't know what to say about it.
02:23End of the day, I think in a game, you have to play good cricket every day when you turn up.
02:30If you don't play well, you can't complain.
02:32And, if you play well, there is no point saying whether you have got an advantage or not.
02:36I don't really think.
02:38Because, we are practicing here, we are playing matches there.
02:42Practice, obviously, different wicket. We are playing matches a bit different.
02:46We all know that.
02:47So, only thing they may say is, play here.
02:50But, that is how the draw is.
02:52So, nothing else can happen in that.
02:54It is not that after coming here, they changed something and got an advantage.
02:58See, Subman, obviously, from 2019, when I started looking after the India team, he has played 4 series then before coming to India team.
03:06So, I know Subman pretty well.
03:08I think he is someone who is very balanced.
03:11I think he is someone who can adapt the situation well.
03:14He is someone who will play according to the team need.
03:17And, his game is such that he can be good with rotating strike, taking game deep.
03:24As well as, he is someone who can actually attack if it requires.
03:28And, I think with the balance approach he has, he has been brilliant.
03:32So, it is great to see what I have seen him in 2019.
03:37And, now I see him with Indian team.
03:39Obviously, he has been playing for India team.
03:41But, the way he is playing and taking responsibility is great to see.
03:46Indian team has defeated New Zealand in a group match.
03:52So, what will be the psychological advantage of that?
03:55That depends on how New Zealand team thinks.
03:58But, I think we should not think that.
04:00We should just try and turn up and play a good game of cricket.
04:03Because, there is no point in thinking about last match.
04:06We have to do next thing out of 9.
04:08We have to focus on that.
04:10So, India is probably going with the 4 spinners again with New Zealand.
04:14Because, last time around we did very well.
04:17So, will it be 4 spinners?
04:19And also, K.L Rahul, we see him in a different avatar, if you can say.
04:24For combination, I am not someone who can answer.
04:28So, that is not the question for me to answer.
04:31And, K.L Rahul, what are you asking about?
04:33K.L Rahul is seen in a different, you know, sort of a role.
04:37I mean, he is whacking the ball when we see him practicing.
04:43So, earlier, one question I said that everyone is doing their job at whatever number team requires them to.
04:50And, they are doing it superbly.
04:52So, K.L is someone who batted at that number.
04:56He obviously can rotate, we all know.
04:59And, obviously he can hit the ball as well when required, what we have seen last game.
05:03I mean, I think he always has done that.
05:05It is the situation comes and he executes it.
05:08So, I personally feel he is good enough to do whatever team requires to do.
05:13I think he has proven that.
05:15I don't know what advantage, I mean, the tournament draws like this from start.
05:20So, nothing has changed.
05:21So, what advantage after we are reaching the final, if people think.
05:25That is tough, man.
05:26That is the way game goes and we just play to the draw and that is it.
05:30There is no advantage, disadvantage.
05:32You have to play good cricket.
05:34In fact,
06:05So, can you tell us a little about the atmosphere and the pressure of the big game?
06:08I don't feel that the pressure of the big game was there two years ago in India.
06:13We have won the ICC event before and haven't won in between.
06:18Other teams have played well.
06:20But, that doesn't mean that we come under pressure.
06:24So, that is the first answer.
06:26Second, our senior players, obviously all the time, not only with young players,
06:32they are in between, in team meetings, everyone talks, they all talk.
06:37And that is something which is priceless.
06:42Because, if Rohit, Virat, Hardik, those guys are talking, Sami, Chaddu even.
06:52So, the 15-20 years of their experience, they are talking what the players who have been here for 2 years are listening.
06:59So, some things obviously you learn with experience.
07:02But, listening to the guys who have that experience and they are talking about their 20 years of learning,
07:08that is also a great environment.
07:10Our Indian team is very good with that.
07:12So, it is great for us too, for the support staff.
07:15Because, half of the things, maybe more than half of the things, the same people cover.
07:20So, we don't have to say anything.
07:22No, no, God has been very kind.
07:24I think they are very good players.
07:26Any coach, to be very honest, I should not even comment on what you ask.
07:31But, any coach can only do a little bit of input.
07:35You can't say that because of me, everything is wrong.
07:40They are so good.
07:42So, I don't think that anything special I have done.
07:47It is just the great players who got a good momentum.
07:50They are always good.
07:51We can, as a team, have a bad time.
07:54Australia was a tough series.
07:56And, to be honest, in those four test matches, we lost three.
08:00Those two matches were so close that the test in Melbourne could have been a draw.
08:04I was also following like you.
08:06And, yes, the last match could have gone anyway.
08:08So, we could have even won that series 2-1.
08:10After losing this, it looks like we lost.
08:12But, no, we have great players, great batters.
08:15And, according to me, whatever I can be a little bit helpful, that I try.
08:19But, that does not mean that my coming has made a difference.
08:23To be wherever, he is someone who can open, someone who can go four, five.
08:27And, someone who is doing what number six is doing.
08:30And, he adapts it well.
08:33And, he is very happy in that role he is performing.
08:36And, that obviously helps him also when he starts performing at that number.
08:41Because, it's a different situation he is going in.
08:44So, that's great for the team.
08:46But, from his approach, whatever I have spoken to him, he said,
08:49I will do whatever the team requires.
08:51And, I will do my best.
08:52And, God grace, he has been doing that.