Trishul Chinnappa is reconnecting with his roots and reading books as lockdown affords him the opportunity to spend time at home.

The lockdown blues aren’t a bother to Trishul Chinnappa. The 26-year-old golfer from Coorg is enjoying home comforts after spending most of his time on the road since turning professional in 2015. Summer is blossom time in the coffee estates and Trishul has been using his time on the estate to learn the nuances that make growing the beans such a fine art.

Just two top ten finishes in a career spanning nearly six years is far from justice to the enormous talent of this young man. But then sport is rarely about justice and equality. The break is perhaps a good time for Trishul to reflect and get ready for good bounce when the sport returns to competitive action in the not too distant future.

“I am excited but at the same time, I also know that it is going to take time to return to competition. I also feel lucky that this particular time was important for me as I had hurt my shoulder. So this break has given me time to recover. I am ready and raring to go again,” said Chinnappa in an Instagram session with Shaili Chopra.

Trishul has also been enjoying some hockey and cricket, sports he played growing up, with his family and friends on the estate.

On golf, Trishul acknowledged the role of his team lead by Tarun Sardesai, in keeping him rooted with the sport. “I am very fortunate to have an incredible team. They have made sure I stay in touch, working through zoom calls. We have been working on our basics and sharing experiences. Some of it also is helpful to the juniors at the academy, as they can learn from my mistakes. It also helped to motivate me, as if I was speaking about it to them, I better be working at it too.”

Trishul also considers the lockdown an opportunity to focus on technique. It is a good time to work on the details and be ready for action when it comes around, he said.

But most importantly, Trishul cherishes his tryst with coffee during the downtime. “I have spent the last month learning about coffee. This is the time of the coffee blossom and it is a beautiful time to be here. The bees are here as well, so that is such a treat to watch as well in the evening.”

He has also been filling his mind with Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. It has hit me hard, says a curious Chinnappa. It is this curiosity that should serve him well when he returns to action sooner than later.

source: http://www.golfingindian.com / GolfingIndian.com / Home / by Anand Datla / May 24th, 2020

Robin Uthappa had made quite an entry to international cricket, nearly becoming the first India batsman to hit a century on ODI debut in 2006

Robin Uthappa has said he pursued Test cricket at the wrong age which cost him some of his batting aggression and consequently, became his undoing.

Uthappa had made quite an entry to international cricket, nearly becoming the first India batsman to hit a century on ODI debut in 2006. Known for his aggressive approach, he was part of India squad that went on to win the inaugural ICC World T20 in South Africa.

However, his international career fizzled out as he brought out a change in his technique to realise the dream of playing Test cricket.

“My biggest goal was to play Test cricket for India,” Uthappa said during a Rajasthan Royals podcast session. “Had I pursued that at 20-21, I probably by this time would’ve played Test cricket. I wanted to have no regrets at the end of my career and wanted to be sure that I brought the best out of me.”

To tune himself to the rigours of Test cricket, Uthappa took the help of Pravin Amre and improved his technique to bring in consistency but in the process lost his natural flair.

“Hence at 25, I decided to overhaul my batting technique under Pravin Amre and became a technically better batsman who could be there for long and bat for long hours and be more consistent, which made me let go of some of my batting aggression in the process,” he said.

Uthappa played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is for India but never played Test cricket and at 34, it seems a distant possibility that he’ll ever make his international comeback.

“I thought to play Test cricket for India, I needed to alter my technique …….In hindsight, I may have pursued the goal at the wrong time at 25 years of age,” he said.

However, during his India career, Uthappa managed to become a world cup winner.

Under MS Dhoni, India beat Pakistan in the final to lift the silverware and Uthappa recounts the days following that historic win.

“After winning the World Cup, I did not sleep for three days straight. It didn’t really hit us initially; we were just ecstatic that we beat Pakistan in the finals,” he said.

“The enormity of it hit us when we landed in India. The reception we received was massive, I mean Bombay doesn’t stop for anyone, that day the entire city came to a standstill and moved only in the direction our bus was moving. Bizarrely we went through all of the Indian weather in that one day.

“What would usually take 45 minutes to an hour on a normal day, took us 5 and a half hours on that particular day. It went from being cold to rainy to humid and then hot. By the time we reached Wankhede, we were famished.

“I remember people throwing water, fruits, and chocolates at us so that we don’t lose energy and keep going. It was fun and all of us really cherished those memories. It was a massive relief to win a World Cup after 1983.

“I don’t think words do justice to the emotion of being a World Cup winner. It surpasses pretty much everything you feel as a cricketer. It’s a bit complex but it’s one of the most amazing feelings you get as an athlete.

“Simply because it makes you feel proud that you made a difference and added value to your team at that point in time to win a world championship. You have played your part and everybody has to play their part to win a World Cup.”

source: http://www.india.com / India.com / Home> Sports / by india.com sports desk / edited by Feroz Khan / May 20th, 2020