India fielding coach R Sridhar said a four-phase training module is being prepared for the country’s elite cricketers, who, according to him, can attain peak match fitness with four to six weeks of training once the camp gets the go-ahead to start.
India fielding coach Sridhar
New Delhi: Sridhar, who has been an integral part of the Indian cricket set-up since 2014, spoke to PTI on how the Virat Kohlis, Rohit Sharmas and Jasprit Bumrahs will be training to get ready for the rigours of international cricket when the ball starts rolling again amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “If we have a camp for four-six weeks, we can bring them back to peak match readiness. The fast bowlers will need around six weeks, the batsmen might take a bit less time,” said Sridhar.
“Once we get a date (on start of the national camp) from BCCI and approval from the government of India, we can start working backwards (starting from scratch). The challenge is to proceed in right phases as players can get excited when they play after 14 or 15 weeks. It is pertinent that we move in the right way forward. We don’t want to look too far ahead,” he explained.
Sridhar stressed on workload management and warned that pushing too hard would only cause injuries. “Initially, we have to give them progressive workload. You can’t have a sudden spike in workload,” said the former Hyderabad left-arm spinner. The coach then explained how they would go about it.
“First phase will be ‘low volume-low intensity’. That will be followed by ‘moderate volume-low intensity’. Then, we will have ‘high volume-moderate intensity’. Finally, it will be ‘high volume-high intensity’ training.
This is how we will go,” he said. And what will constitute low-volume-low intensity training? Sridhar said it would vary.
“May be, the fast bowlers will bowl two overs from half or quarter run-up. The deliveries will be bowled at 20 or 30 percent intensity. For a fielder, it will be at the maximum - six throws over 10 metres or 6 throws over 20 metres at 40 to 50 per cent intensity. For a batsman, it will start with five to six minutes of batting against moderate pace bowling,” he explained.
“For catchers, it will start with semi-soft balls. Intensity will be slow and volumes will be less. Then, we can slowly pick it up as we cross one phase after another,” he said. It will be around the fourth week that match-intensity training will start and then slowly, the players will enter the zone where they get match ready.
He agreed that the duration of getting into peak match readiness physically and mentally will vary from player to player, but added the aim of the coaches would be to have everyone on the same page when the camp ends.
“Once we get a date (on start of the national camp) from BCCI and approval from the government of India, we can start working backwards (starting from scratch). The challenge is to proceed in right phases as players can get excited when they play after 14 or 15 weeks. It is pertinent that we move in the right way forward. We don’t want to look too far ahead,” he explained.
Sridhar stressed on workload management and warned that pushing too hard would only cause injuries. “Initially, we have to give them progressive workload. You can’t have a sudden spike in workload,” said the former Hyderabad left-arm spinner. The coach then explained how they would go about it.
“First phase will be ‘low volume-low intensity’. That will be followed by ‘moderate volume-low intensity’. Then, we will have ‘high volume-moderate intensity’. Finally, it will be ‘high volume-high intensity’ training.
This is how we will go,” he said. And what will constitute low-volume-low intensity training? Sridhar said it would vary.
“May be, the fast bowlers will bowl two overs from half or quarter run-up. The deliveries will be bowled at 20 or 30 percent intensity. For a fielder, it will be at the maximum - six throws over 10 metres or 6 throws over 20 metres at 40 to 50 per cent intensity. For a batsman, it will start with five to six minutes of batting against moderate pace bowling,” he explained.
“For catchers, it will start with semi-soft balls. Intensity will be slow and volumes will be less. Then, we can slowly pick it up as we cross one phase after another,” he said. It will be around the fourth week that match-intensity training will start and then slowly, the players will enter the zone where they get match ready.
He agreed that the duration of getting into peak match readiness physically and mentally will vary from player to player, but added the aim of the coaches would be to have everyone on the same page when the camp ends.