In a Test career of less than two years, Justin Greaves has played arguably two of the best knocks under pressure in recent history. There was the record-breaking 202* against New Zealand last year, followed by the 180 against Sri Lanka in July this year. In this interview, Greaves opens up on his mental approach, dealing with backs-to-the-wall situations and juggling all-round duties.
Coming to Bangladesh on your first tour, you've come from a very good series against Sri Lanka and starting with win in Dhaka. What better way to kick things off.
Justin Greaves: It's a really good win. You know, coming here to Bangladesh, different conditions, always difficult conditions for overseas teams, but to get that first win under our belt in the first game, to carry that momentum into the second game and just try to be as consistent as possible with what we're doing.
Having followed you for the last two years, a lot of your batting seems to be about sheer determination under pressure. You've shown it in two of your biggest knocks. How much of your batting is down to a positive mindset and hunger?
Greaves: It's just about being clear on my plans once I go out to bat. I am just trying to understand the conditions as much as possible, and then the hunger talk always comes from Kemar Roach. I always refer to him because when I was coming up in the Barbados team, he was very big on staying hungry and always wanting to do better for yourself. Just not settle for what we would call mediocre scores. So, always trying to improve every single time and always try for those big scores.
You mentioned coping with the levels of domestic cricket to international cricket. What are the areas that you have specifically had to work on to take that big step up?
Greaves: I would say discipline is a really, really big thing. There's a massive difference with first-class cricket when you're coming into Test cricket. You know, there's lots more video analysis of players and a lot more technical stuff that other teams look at in terms of dismissing batsmen. But for me, it's just about being as disciplined as possible, trying to identify where the opposition team will be trying to get me out and just trying to conquer that as much as possible.
You needed to change a number of things including your diet, fitness pattern and skillsets, to become an international cricketer. Is it like an overnight change?
Greaves: A little bit, but I don't think it's very difficult for me. I am always the one who wants to go to the next level. I am always the one who wants to excel. So for me, if it's a case of changing your diet, changing your gym routines, doing a bit more recovery, I'm always open to it because if it's going to help me to develop at the end of the day. I think that's the direction I always wanted to go in.
Now talking about the double-hundred in Christchurch, the team was in a bit of a mess with four wickets down for not so many. You have Shai Hope at the other end, but what was the mindset that you went into that knock? Do you remember?
Greaves: The end goal was to bat all day, but it was take it step by step, take it ball by ball. Batting with Shai is always (great). He makes it pretty much easy for me at the other end at times. So just enjoying the partnership, enjoying the challenge, and I think that's something that we've done really well as a Test team, just trying to enjoy that challenge and embrace the challenge every single time.
When Hope and Tevin Imlach get out in quick succession, what was going through your mind at that time? You had someone you knew coming out, but still, you needed a lot of things to do.
Greaves: Look, it was down to bowlers at the back end, but I know Kemar [Roach], he's been kind of a rock for us, getting those lower-order runs and toughing out situations. When he came into bat, he was just positive. He told me to stay positive. He told me that try not to think too much about the end of the day. Again, just take it ball by ball and I think with a calm head with Kemar Roach at the other end, it was pretty good for me as well.
The plan to bat all day, you can plan, but then you have to execute. Did you break it down to session-wise or over-wise? How did you approach that part in Christchurch?
Greaves: Yeah, we look at sessions, then we look at an hour, water break, and then it's ball by ball because you know they're going to challenge you each and every single time. Sometimes you are going to be up against it, but you try not to think about the previous ball. Always think about the next ball. So for me, it was just sticking to what I know, sticking to my processes, and at the end of the day, we came out with a draw in that game.
That innings is one of very few knocks where a fourth innings double hundred actually resulted in a win or a draw. In that regard, you're in the company of George Headley, Gordon Greenidge, and Kyle Mayers. You said at the time that it'll take you a little bit of time to sink in, but did it sink in? Now do you think about that knock?
Greaves: Yeah, it has sunk in, but for me, I always say put the team first. Personal stuff will always be there, but I always think about the team and what the team requires. And once we as a group continue to put the team first and what the team requires, I think the Test group is going in the right direction.
Are you also understanding the role of a Test all-rounder? Like you having to contribute with bat and ball and then you have to do it very much back-to-back at times.
Greaves: It's very demanding. That's why I said coming from first-class cricket, probably not doing as much work and you might have a bit of time to rest as well in first-class cricket. But for us in international cricket, having to bowl and then batting at No 6, you might find yourself four down quickly as well. So then you have to switch on in terms of batting. But embracing the role, enjoying it, I want to be up for every single challenge. So once I put myself in those positions, I just want to come out on top each time.
Not the exact situation, but against Sri Lanka earlier this year, your 180 came in a big partnership with Shai Hope. You two added 242 for the partnership. What was the mindset then? Did you take something from that double hundred as well? I mean, you had some experience of taking the innings deep.
Greaves: I would say it pretty much came from hunger because the game before I didn't get any runs. It was just trying to lock back in because that was our first game of the summer as well in terms of Test cricket. But again, batting with Shai, he was just trying not to think too far ahead, take it ball by ball. And once I got into my innings, timed the first couple balls pretty well and then it was just smooth sailing from there. So it's just about getting in because the starts are very, very hard in international cricket. And then obviously you stay disciplined throughout. But yeah, just batting with Shai just makes it a bit easier as well.
So you are one of only two batters to have scored 180-plus scores twice from No 6 and below in Test cricket. The other one is Don Bradman
Greaves: Bradman. Crazy. That's crazy, man. You know, I've never wanted to really focus so much on stats and who's done it before and stuff like that, but to be in that company, man, is great.
Isn't that the thing about international cricket? There's ups and downs, like these are the great moments and then you have to get into the grind as well as an all-rounder.
Greaves: Yeah, it is, but my thing is always you never get too high, you never get too low because you're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days. And as a professional, you always want to find that medium because cricket, you're going to have more bad days than good days because every day you want to score 100, every day you want to get 5 wickets and it doesn't happen. But for us, we always talk about having an impact on the game and that's one of the major things for me, having an impact on the game what the team requires. So once the team comes out on the win, man, I'm very happy.
Daren Sammy recently said that you challenge bowlers in the nets. Is that something that you have done it before and you've continued to do it?
Greaves: Look, we've got an aggressive group of fast bowlers. We've got Alzarri, Shamar Joseph, and especially Jayden Seales who chats a bit in the nets as well. But it's always good to be up for a challenge in the nets, man, because you want practice sessions to be as intense as the games are. And it really gets you in the mindset of how Test cricket can be. Yes, it's not the exact same thing because it's only practice at the end of the day, but people always talk about what you practice you want to execute in games and it's a lot easier when you have that intensity in the nets so you can just transfer that to the game.
Sammy also said that he has noticed changes in you in the last 12 months. Do you also feel that there's been a click, that something has changed in you?
Greaves: Yeah, a massive change. I think maturing is one and just developing of a greater mind in terms of not wanting, like same thing I said in terms of positive days, bad days, and just having a medium, not being too high, not being too low and just trying to stick at that medium as much as possible. Trying to be as humble as I can as well. But yeah, always bring a good vibe to the group, but yes, I've felt the change as well.