Kerala’s in the midst of their most successful run in the history of Ranji Trophy cricket. On Tuesday, with a resounding victory over Haryana – by an innings and seven runs – they entered the quarterfinals for the first time. Their new coach, Dav Whatmore, as acknowledged by captain Sachin Baby, has been a significant factor in the team’s successful campaign.
“We thought he would be like those foreign coaches who would cocoon themselves and impose diktats on us,” Baby told The New Indian Express, “But he proved to be different.”
“He talked to us when we were going through rough patches and let us know what role we need to play. He backed us to the hilt,” he added.
There’s very little to doubt Whatmore’s coaching credentials. Under him, Sri Lanka went from underdogs to top dogs in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating the Mark Taylor-led Australia. During his stint with Bangladesh in 2005, he oversaw Test wins for the first time in the nation’s history and beat the all-conquering Aussies captained by Ricky Ponting in an ODI. Two years later, the Bangladeshis knocked India out to make the super-8 stage in the 2007 World Cup.
So, it isn’t surprising to see Kerala, under Whatmore, accomplishing something that they haven’t been able to before.
So, what changes did Whatmore effect in the Kerala dressing room?
“I have never played in a Kerala team before where we know for almost certain what their (opposition) playing XI will be,” Kerala’s vice-captain Sanju Samson told The Indian Express.
Whatmore, Samson revealed, is thorough about the opposition and the conditions.
“It is very specific and we don’t even have one per cent doubt about what we are going to do on the field. Because Dav is so experienced, we also have a good idea of how they are going to play. Knowing things like what conditions their batsmen have scored runs in helps us be prepared,” Samson said.
Three months prior to the season’s start, Whatmore, in a 30-day camp in July, put the probables through several fitness tests and analysed them using biomechanics.
But Whatmore, in an interview to the Times of India, credited the players’ ability than his coaching.
“They have performed to my expectations. This has not surprised me. Not in the slightest,” he said, “I saw it as a challenge. I knew they had the potential and they have delivered.”
Knowing well that the youngsters in the team would be in awe of him, he let the players know that he’s approachable anytime. He recalled how he turned into a comedian of sorts during one of the pre-season sessions.
“There are a number of things to make the players feel comfortable. A warm and supportive environment was created. They are encouraged to support each other. You need to be in a good state of mind to go out and perform,” he said.
When it came to the analysis, Whatmore spoke about the thorough approach he took in communicating with the players.
“They get individual reports after very game, which includes the coach’s comments. How many runs they scored, how they made it, dot balls, ones, twos, fours, sixes, strike rate, where they bowled and at the end, all my thoughts. What I see, how I feel about them. That way you are guaranteed to communicate with everyone. Some of them have come back to me too,” Whatmore was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Irrespective of how the team performs in the knockout stages, it’s fair to say Whatmore has delivered for Kerala in style so far.