New South African cricket coach Ray Jennings has a most unenviable task on hand, as he prepares to bring his team to India on their first major tour as coach. Therefore, as prepares for a tour of an unchartered territory, Jennings is spending as much time as possible trying to learn about India and its players. ‘‘You have a wonderful squad, perfect balance and all of world class quality,’’ he says, speaking to The Indian Express over a telecon. Quite an unexpectedly pleasant start to the conversation considering the not-so-approachable image the Safs’ press has built of him over the past few days. Jennings gets a lot more comfortable as the conversation enters the business end and the imposing challenge that he faces. ‘‘Yes, it is a very tough assignment, but we have quite a good set of very experienced players ready to take it up,’’ he says. With the South African domestic season having started, Jennings is spending a lot of his time checking out new players. And as the Isolation Era wicketkeeper gives away, he has been spending as much time watching tapes of the ongoing India-Australia Test series. He is ‘‘very interested’’ in noting the Australian approaches and has made ‘‘a lot of notes’’ already. Most important among them is that ‘‘India are beatable and this is what Australia have shown by winning the first Test.’’ As an afterthought, he adds: ‘‘Am I right in saying that?’’ This reporter’s response that the Safs have won three out of five Tests in India to date delights him. Jennings is also pleasantly surprised to learn that South Africa is the only team to have won a series in India (1999-2000) in the last 18 years. The interview is then turned around on its head as Jennings starts asking the questions: ‘‘Which of the venues would be suitable?’’ he starts. When told about Kolkata’s Eden Gardens — the venue for the second Test — he wants to know more. In fact, Lance Klusener on his debut in the 1996-97 match, had wrecked the Indian innings with a 10-wicket haul and all the South African pacemen had enjoyed themselves with the bounce and carry. Jennings is reserved in his response and offers ‘‘I will check that up.’’ Is it a handicap that he remains lagely clueless about history and the country he is about to do business in? ‘‘Could be. There are positives and negatives. I do not know India or its players, but the same goes for the Indians. So we both get in without knowing anything about ourselves. No one knows how I work, so that is a positive.’’ What will be more difficult to handle — the Indian spinners, the pitches or the noisy crowds? ‘‘Obviously your spinners. They are a very good pair — Harbhajan and Kumble. The best I would think. And they operate well together. But we will play them on merit and as the ball behaves after pitching,’’ Jennings says. We ask him one final question; on the rather Nazi concentration camp-like regime he has promised his players and the much-publicised quote on giving a kick up the backside to some of them. ‘‘I am a softie at heart,’’ he says. ‘‘No doubt about that. I am doing a job and want to be good at it,’’ he signs off.
