India in WI: Coach Fletcher’s opening remarks

Though bereft of a number of big names,much to the disappointment of the scattered few who turned up to watch the Indian’s train,Suresh Raina’s energetic bunch did manage to create quite a buzz. With 60 per cent of the Trinidadian population said to be of East Indian origin,there was an evident interest for many to catch a glimpse of those who belonged to the land of their forefathers.

“Can you introduce me to the ones from Gujarat,” pleaded one elderly gentleman,who then flashed a toothy smile when told about the presence of three Gujaratis in the team. The high number of high-profile absentees in the Indian team,however,was a dominant subject in the pre-series press conference. And while West Indies skipper Darren Sammy preferred to play it down,coach Ottis Gibson seemed pretty miffed about the second-string opposition that his team will take on over the next few weeks. And with the weather forecast for Saturday’s solitary T20-predicting more rain,the already besieged series might well start off on a dreary,wet note.

But the entire focus was on Duncan Fletcher,wearing the Indian practice jersey for the first time,as he stepped onto the field on what was his first day in the office as Indian coach. And it didn’t take too long for it to become obvious that there were more than a few minor differences in his style as compared to his immediate predecessor.

No hands-on approach

Though the session did begin with a huddle and a customary long lecture from the Zimbabwean,the players soon scattered around to commence their warm-up routines. Unlike Gary Kirsten,Fletcher wasn’t the first man out or the first to indulge in a lengthy stretching routine. While age is the overriding factor in this comparison,Fletcher,62,also preferred to stand afar and observe rather than have a hands-on approach like the South African.

And there was an interesting moment when the former England coach,after having provided slip-catching practice batting right-handed,tried his hand at being ambidextrous. Following miss after miss,which drew chuckles from all quarters,there was almost a sense of relief when Fletcher finally edged one perfectly,even drawing applause from those in the Indian slip-cordon.

It also become apparent soon that Kirsten,who doubled up as a bowling machine (as Sachin Tendulkar famously described him) would be missed direly at least for that facet of his coaching acumen. It was rather Trevor Penny,the new fielding coach,who shouldered the burden of throwing down deliveries at the likes of Raina,S Badrinath and Virat Kohli,while Fletcher stood closely noting the drill with a couple of quiet comments passed here and there.

Apart from Fletcher,the people of the Caribbean never stop shaking a leg to the ever-present music. And as the Indians went through their motions on Thursday,loudspeakers constantly blared in the background. Harbhajan Singh,meanwhile,was a sought-after target with both former Mumbai Indians teammate Dwayne Bravo and Brian Lara turning up at the Oval to greet the most senior member of the Indian team.

And as Bravo and Harbhajan sat drumming their heads to some loud reggae,Fletcher looked on grimly from the nets. As the Indians finally readied to pack their bags,the popular sounds of Bob Marley’s classic hit ‘Sun is shining’ began to reverberate around the Oval. Though the sun didn’t quite shine at all on Friday,the Indian team and the WICB will be desperately hoping that it does,and brightly so,over the next few days in Trinidad.