I take immense pride in having been a part of the journey, states Sanjay Bangar

I take immense pride in having been a part of the journey, states Sanjay Bangar

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BCCI

Sanjay Bangar expressed gratefulness on having been given the opportunity to be a part of India’s historic rise to the top over the past few years and said that he is leaving without any regrets. He talked about the changes that happened under his regime and the success he achieved with the batsmen.

Sanjay Bangar’s five year tenure as the Indian batting coach ended with the conclusion of the tour to the Caribbean. Even though he had applied for another term in office, the BCCI decided in favour of making a change and chose former Indian opener Vikram Rathour as his replacement.

“I have no regrets because I gave my best and I wish Vikram the best too,” Bangar told Sportstar.

Having first taken the reigns under head coach Duncan Fletcher, Bangar would go on to serve under Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri, who is presently the head coach of India.

“They were obviously different. Duncan had a different view relating to batting technique, Kumble was amazingly methodical and Ravi was good in developing mental toughness. I learnt so much from them,” revealed Bangar.

When he took over in 2014, India had just come off an embarrassing tour of England where they had been whitewashed and dropped to number five in Test rankings. Now, after gradual improvements, the team is the holder of the ICC Mace and sits comfortably on top of the rankings.

“We won 30 of 52 Tests and 82 off 122 ODIs. We were consistent (from 2014 to 2019) and beat all countries in their home conditions. I take immense pride in being part of this journey,” he added.

It was under him that India decided to experiment with playing five bowlers in the game’s longest format instead of the usual four, a move which eventually paid off rich dividends.

“It was a bold call which paid. To go in with five bowlers was possible because the batsmen coped with the challenge of playing with that additional responsibility. It was a major shift in the way we played Test cricket. Six batsmen laid the foundation and our splendid attack worked wonderful victories,” Bangar said.

He groomed many a batsman in his role as the batting coach and help already established batsmen peak and reach loftier heights in their careers.

“It was a job that I loved, creating the conditions they would likely encounter – seaming, spinning and bouncy. Some of the batsmen had their insecurities but I worked with them to enhance their mental composure and help them rid of distractions and uncertainties without once confusing them. They stayed close to their natural game. I would identify their template and not allow them to drift away from it,” he explained.

Bangar believes he has done a successful job by introducing a more solid middle-order in Tests, as was evident by the glorious performances of Hanuma Vihari and Ajinkya Rahane in the West Indies tour.

“I am happy to leave with a team that boasts of a strong middle order in Test matches. There is depth in batting now due to regular contributions from the wicket-keeper and the lower order. We need to strengthen our openers, especially in overseas conditions. There is little to worry on the bowling front. We have a rich collection there,” he signed off.

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