Cuttack: Darren Lehmann was nothing less than a sublime batsman in his playing days. Experts talk of using the length of the crease, but few have used its width as Lehmann did in his time.
As an out-and-out stroke-player, he treated spectators to an audacious mixture of swashbuckling aggression and deft finesse. He now leads a pack of batsmen - Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Herschelle Gibbs - who have redefined batsmanship in their own way.
In an exclusive interview with IPLT20.COM, Lehmann spoke his heart out on his compatriots in the IPL, the big boys of his team and his new ‘lucky’ home ground.
Speaking on the thrilling 10-run win over Delhi Daredevils, Lehmann said, “Yeah two great games at home. We wanted to win both the games at home and we did it. I think Delhi Daredevils are a strong side and we just stole victory from them. I think that is the beauty of the format. We batted brilliantly but we didn’t bowl well as we would have liked first-up. But what we really did well was we batted well up-front. Our performances have been getting better, so that to me is more impressive.”
Lehmann expressed his delight that the seniors in the team have come good and taken all the pressure on themselves in crunch situations of the game. “Yeah, they all have been great. The good thing I like about them is that they hand-hold young kids and tell them about the game. They make sure that the youngsters in the side get to understand the game better and learn from their experiences. We are working hard to make these young cricketers better. The old guys keep standing for us in every game at the moment and that is great for us. Of course they can’t do it every time but I am confident that the example they have set on the field will inspire the youngsters to come good when required,” he said.
When asked about the ‘favourites tag’ in the tournament, Lehmann replied, “It is good feeling. But we are taking one game at a time. The spirits in the group are high and we know that if we stick to our basics then it will be really hard for the opponents to beat us.”
And what about his ‘Midas touch’?
“I really don’t know about that ‘Midas touch’ at all. It is just that we have got a very good team. I, as a coach, just make sure that they stick to the basics and the rest I leave up to them. I am a firm believer in the fact that if a team gets their basics right, then most of the time they will end up winning. In the first season it was Shane Warne for the Royals and then Adam Gilchrist followed him by winning the IPL trophy. Hopefully, my luck will continue and Deccan Chargers will lift the trophy this season,” he replied with a big smile.
Lehmann said that it was hard to strategise in such a fast paced format but most of the time his plans fall in place. “We always have a game plan and so far it had been holding out for us pretty well. It is still early days in the tournament but I hope that we continue to execute whatever we have planned. The end results will come our way. The only thing I expect from my team is that they should all stick to their natural game and get the basics right,” he said.
And hasn’t one of the strategies been to ask Gibbs to tone down his game and hang around so that others can play around him. “We spoke to him [Herschelle Gibbs] about his batting order [dropping] from the opening slot to the first down position. And he has been brilliant so far. He is evolving as a cricketer - I mean he is learning. He is confident about his game and he is enjoying his new role. When we lost a wicket today, he came out and took the pressure off Gilchrist and then Symonds. I think a big knock from either Gibbs or Symonds or may be Gilly at the top is round the corner. We are just doing the rights things at the right time,” he explained.
Lehmann further said that Indian Premier League is also a great platform for the youngsters to experience an international standard of cricket and pressure from the crowds. “Well you see he [Mitchell Marsh] is a young player. We are not pushing in the young players at the moment. We just need to wait for a while before a need arises and we require his services. He is a fine youngster. But as I said - it is about the whole squad and not about the individual,” he reiterated.
“The things Mitchell has learned as part of this development have been really critical. It gives kids the chance to play for their country, which they may never do again. And it also gives kids the chance to captain their country. They get the chance to play on the international stage. While we understand the benefits of domestic cricket, touring makes sure a player's career is rounded. It brings a whole new dimension of culture, which is the platform of our game,” he added.
What comes to his mind when he thinks about his next match against Rajasthan Royals? “Adam Voges is a good cricketer and Warnie (Shane Warne) is a class act. We just hope that we perform well when we face them,” he replied.
Lehmann’s tenure as coach has been a very successful one. Does anyone else impress him in IPL?
“Yeah there are quite a few in IPL. I think Ray Jennings has a fantastic cricketing brain and then there is Tom Moody and Dav Whatmore. Jennings has the ability to zero in on the weakness of the opposition in no time. I have been watching their bowlers bowl those rising, short of length balls and troubling the batsmen. The strategy worked well against Indian batsmen but for batting line-ups like that of the Deccan Chargers – it will be of no use. Gilly, Symmo and Gibbs have played that length all their lives. It is the other lengths that they [have to] adjust [to] and this is what they have [been] playing,” he said.
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