After 15 months away it has been great to get back into international cricket out here in Jaipur. I didn't know what to imagine from the Indian Premier League, but the games have been intense, hard-fought and the sideshows spectacular. If the buzz around the grounds is a guide, then the IPL is even bigger than anyone predicted.
Things were a bit chaotic for the first few days. Players from all over the world were coming and going, the official gear had not turned up and it was hard to know what was happening from one day to the next. I would not say that things were badly organised, but people were getting carried away with the excitement.
Life is always frenetic around cricket in India. The place was made for Twenty20. You expect the dressing-rooms to start shaking in the build-ups, with entertainment booming outside. And the media are lapping it up. I even read that I've learnt Hindi - fortunately, the article was in English.
More than a week in, the dust is settling. Teams have realised that you don't always need to blast 200 to win and we've been getting some close games. Anybody can beat anybody on the day (or night). That is part of the attraction.
I try to have fresh ideas for each game. If you can take your opponent by surprise, even just for a few minutes, it can be a big advantage. So I may put in an extra spin bowler or mix up some of the batsmen to get another big hitter in the middle order.
Unfortunately, most of the spinners are being smashed around. Boundaries are so small that you can deceive a guy in the flight and still see the ball fly for six off the top edge. I suppose Twenty20 is about big hits and supporters go crazy when it clears the ropes, but a 55-metre boundary does not make for much of a balance.
You have to adjust quickly and as best you can. I've been asked whether there is much talking in the middle between the Aussie players, but by the time I have thought about moving a fielder - and then managed to convey the message above the din - there isn't time for a kind word or a sledge.
Playing against my old team-mates is strange. Overall, we are going well - Andrew Symonds, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist have cracked lightning hundreds, Matty Hayden and Simon Katich have also scored runs, Shane Watson has been brilliant for the mighty Rajasthan Royals and Brett Lee has cranked up the pace.
The only guy who is yet to fire is Ricky Ponting, who has had a couple of first-ballers. I am sure he will have a wry smile on his face when he leaves for the West Indies tour shortly. He must be keen to get back to the longer form of the game.
We know each other's games inside out and I was pleased to use a bit of that knowledge to get rid of Gilchrist when we played against Deccan Chargers last Thursday. Sometimes he can be weak against spin early on, so I called up Yusuf Pathan's off spin for the third over and we got him stumped.
The Royals have sneaked under the radar with three wins in a row. On Thursday we play Kolkata Knight Riders, when I go head-to-head as coach with my old pal, John Buchanan. That side of my role has been good fun. Darren Berry and Jeremy Snape do a lot of the back-up work. If I ever become an international coach, I'd be happy with those two as assistants.
I feel like I've been on Jeremy's couch a couple of times and he has done some good stuff with the youngsters. Dimi Mascarenhas should be in contention for Thursday, but it is a shame he is the only English player on view. Well done to Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, for seeing the bigger picture and releasing him.
Nothing to my mind will be able to compete with the IPL. Having said that, I have been reading about Sir Allen Stanford's proposals based around England. If he wants somebody to pick and captain an All Star XI, I'd love to have a go.
Things were a bit chaotic for the first few days. Players from all over the world were coming and going, the official gear had not turned up and it was hard to know what was happening from one day to the next. I would not say that things were badly organised, but people were getting carried away with the excitement.
Life is always frenetic around cricket in India. The place was made for Twenty20. You expect the dressing-rooms to start shaking in the build-ups, with entertainment booming outside. And the media are lapping it up. I even read that I've learnt Hindi - fortunately, the article was in English.
More than a week in, the dust is settling. Teams have realised that you don't always need to blast 200 to win and we've been getting some close games. Anybody can beat anybody on the day (or night). That is part of the attraction.
I try to have fresh ideas for each game. If you can take your opponent by surprise, even just for a few minutes, it can be a big advantage. So I may put in an extra spin bowler or mix up some of the batsmen to get another big hitter in the middle order.
Unfortunately, most of the spinners are being smashed around. Boundaries are so small that you can deceive a guy in the flight and still see the ball fly for six off the top edge. I suppose Twenty20 is about big hits and supporters go crazy when it clears the ropes, but a 55-metre boundary does not make for much of a balance.
You have to adjust quickly and as best you can. I've been asked whether there is much talking in the middle between the Aussie players, but by the time I have thought about moving a fielder - and then managed to convey the message above the din - there isn't time for a kind word or a sledge.
Playing against my old team-mates is strange. Overall, we are going well - Andrew Symonds, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist have cracked lightning hundreds, Matty Hayden and Simon Katich have also scored runs, Shane Watson has been brilliant for the mighty Rajasthan Royals and Brett Lee has cranked up the pace.
The only guy who is yet to fire is Ricky Ponting, who has had a couple of first-ballers. I am sure he will have a wry smile on his face when he leaves for the West Indies tour shortly. He must be keen to get back to the longer form of the game.
We know each other's games inside out and I was pleased to use a bit of that knowledge to get rid of Gilchrist when we played against Deccan Chargers last Thursday. Sometimes he can be weak against spin early on, so I called up Yusuf Pathan's off spin for the third over and we got him stumped.
The Royals have sneaked under the radar with three wins in a row. On Thursday we play Kolkata Knight Riders, when I go head-to-head as coach with my old pal, John Buchanan. That side of my role has been good fun. Darren Berry and Jeremy Snape do a lot of the back-up work. If I ever become an international coach, I'd be happy with those two as assistants.
I feel like I've been on Jeremy's couch a couple of times and he has done some good stuff with the youngsters. Dimi Mascarenhas should be in contention for Thursday, but it is a shame he is the only English player on view. Well done to Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, for seeing the bigger picture and releasing him.
Nothing to my mind will be able to compete with the IPL. Having said that, I have been reading about Sir Allen Stanford's proposals based around England. If he wants somebody to pick and captain an All Star XI, I'd love to have a go.
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