Express News Service
CHENNAI: Preparation. Head coach Anuj Pal Das sums up in one word as to what led to Himachal Pradesh’s maiden Vijay Hazare title triumph – their first in domestic cricket across all formats and age groups.
As the Rishi Dhawan-led side was en route to Una, which is the gateway to Himachal Pradesh, Das was catching up on some lost sleep in the team bus, for the victory celebrations had run late into Monday morning after they defeated Tamil Nadu in the final in Jaipur.
From Una, the team will get a few days break before they assemble again in Dharamsala, the place where the seeds were sowed for Vijay Hazare triumph.
Even as other teams were still finding ways to hold camps for cricketers in the wake of the second Covid wave, Himachal was among the exceptions.
For a state that sees players spread out from different parts where commuting could be a hassle because of ever-changing weather patterns, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association didn’t wait long to start the preparations.
The planning started as early as July, with around 25 players told to assemble in Dharamsala, which has indoor facility and different practice pitches, where they underwent a hard quarantine before resuming the preparations. With the state having one of the best vaccination numbers, the job only made it a bit easier for the team.
“We were clear in our planning because in a terrain like Himachal it is hard for players to get proper training,” Das said.
“Our full focus in the initial period was to get them fully fit because with Covid protocols in place, it is tough to bring replacements. So we worked on their fitness by gradually increasing their workload because last season also was a short one. Players also needed time to get into the groove. By August end, we were in full swing, even playing practice matches to make players ready,” Das, who has been an assistant director of coaching at HPCA across various tenures added.
Apart from preparation, Das cites familiarity playing a huge role. Das — thanks to his long association with HPCA where he has coached the Under-16, Under-19, Under-23 and senior sides since starting as a coaching professional in 2004 — has worked with all the players at different age-groups.
“I came to the senior team only during the pandemic, but these are familiar faces. So, even among the players, they had played with each other at some level. Be it the seniors or the newcomers. It was just like a college batch. Everyone knows what each one brings to the table. And during the preparations, instead of forcing anything on the team, we sat down and told them, the support staff will do what the team wants. I’d done enough of coaching to them. So, it was all but creating a good atmosphere and helping each other out.”
The campaign started with a defeat to Vidarbha, a point where Das and Dhawan decided not to put pressure on the players and take it one match at a time.
With pitches in Mumbai during group stages being on the flatter side, Himachal batters found it easy to acclimatise, especially after practising on pitches in Dharamsala.
“We had made it very challenging for the batters in Dharamsala. And by the time the camp ended, they had gotten better. So when they saw the pitches in Mumbai, they backed themselves to put good totals,” Das added.
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