DELIVERING WITH ZEST
To know Kaushik Jagannathan’s story is to fully appreciate his unquenchable appetite for improvement, not only his own, but that of every player who has the good fortune of coming under his influence. Raised in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a home to 77 million people, Jagannathan worked his way through the ranks to first-class cricket, debuting as a 26-year-old with a six-wicket haul against Delhi. A decade on, and having migrated Down Under, Jagannathan is making his mark in GCA ranks, combining his passion for coaching with a determination to assist South Barwon land some long-coveted silverware. He shared his journey with GCA1 reporter WES CUSWORTH
WES CUSWORTH:
How do we come to find you playing in the Geelong Cricket Association? KAUSHIK
JAGANNATHAN: I was a full-time professional cricketer along with being coach for the Tamil Nadu under-16 and under-19 state teams. My main fascination is about fast bowling and coaching fast bowlers into getting their actions biomechanically correct. That will help reduce their injuries and, secondly, I hope to help them increase their pace. So, I wanted to do my Masters in Applied Sports Science at Deakin University to upskill myself in the coaching area. It was important to have an idea of how the body moves and understand strength and conditioning. Also, things like workload management and biomechanics. This course in Geelong has everything that I need.
WC: How have you benefited from what you have learnt so far?
KJ: My thesis is about the physical preparation of the lower limbs with respect to their biomechanics, which is actually kind of fascinating.
I’m doing this with the data derived from Cricket Australia and my supervisor is Dr Simon Feros. He’s done his PhD on fast bowling and has some great insights. I’m finding learning about the latest findings in fast bowling very interesting and I need to bring that into my own coaching.
WC: Given that you didn’t make your first-class debut until the age of 26, do you wish you knew at 18 what you know now?
KJ: Definitely. I made my debut at 26, but didn’t do my BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) coaching accreditation in India until I was 31. I felt the level of knowledge I gained with that level one certification was humungous and I was able to use that knowledge. I was physically fit at the time so before I used that knowledge to coach the kids I would make myself the lab rat and practise on myself and see if it did have benefits. I found a huge change in my own bowling, so it was quite fascinating. If I could have had one fourth of the knowledge I have now, at the age of 18, I could have gone on to become a much better fast bowler.
WC: How stark is the difference for an 18-year-old in Geelong to the same age player in India?
KJ: I was in the city of Chennai, but my friends who came from the regional parts near Chennai say they had no opportunity. To showcase their talents they had to go to Chennai or their talent would go unnoticed. In the last few years the Tamil Nadu Premier League has begun to unearth such talents, which were previously hidden in the regional parts of Tamil Nadu. Things are now moving in the right direction.
WC: Have you ever played in a tie before last Sunday’s thriller against Newtown and Chilwell?
KJ: I have in India and I was actually batting at the time, just like last week. Last Sunday’s run chase was very exciting but I didn’t expect to have to bat for the last ball. I was hoping that Zac Thorne and Brad (Hauenstein) would steer us home. It was unfortunate we weren’t on the winning side with all of the hard work that we did.
WC: So that tie with Newtown & Chilwell still leaves you a little exposed, needing to win one of two games to cement finals. You’re up against a very good side in Lara tomorrow and no doubt you’ve heard lots about your fellow countryman Vishesh Malhotra’s enthusiasm for going after the bowling early on. Given your experience in short-form cricket, how do you approach that sort of scenario?
KJ: This is my first season in Australia and the wickets are definitely helping me as a
medium fast bowler. That’s much better than in Chennai where the wickets are so flat. So since the Christmas break where I have been taking the new ball with Chicken (Nick Lynch) it’s really helped me further as a swing bowler. So in regards to playing someone who is really attacking, I like to get into my rhythm and then try to sort some of his weaknesses out and hopefully get his wicket. My initial plan is always to back my strengths and attack, and then see what happens.
WC: No doubt you’ve
heard that it’s been some time since South Barwon has won a premiership. It would mean a great deal to players like Brad Hauenstein, along with Clinton Peake and Joel Davies who were raised at South before playing at a higher level, so I guess you’d love to help them win something special.
KJ: Definitely, that’s one of the strongest motivations for me to continue playing. It would be a great feeling to win something with those guys that have been with the club for such a long time.