It’s been a little over two months since Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach from Rahul Dravid. Three T20Is, and three ODIs against Sri Lanka and a Test against Bangladesh is a very small sample size to draw any sort of comparison between Dravid and Gambhir’s performance as coach but one thing that can be done is get an idea of how their approach is. And who better than Ravichandran Ashwin to give an insight?
The India all-rounder, who was Player of the Match for his stellar performance with both bat and ball in the series-opener against Bangladesh on his home ground, said Gambhir is far more relaxed in the dressing room than the legendary Dravid.
Giving an example to highlight the difference between Gambhir and Dravid’s methods inside the dressing room, Ashwin said Gambhir is not as particular about certain things as Dravid is.
“I think he is very relaxed. I want to call him ‘relaxed rancho’. There’s no pressure at all. In the morning, there will be a team huddle. He is very relaxed about that as well. He will be like, ‘are you coming, please come’. It’s like that.,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“With Rahul bhai, as soon as we come, he wanted things in order: even a bottle should be kept at a particular place at a particular time. He is very regimented. He wanted things in order,” he added.
“With Gambhir, he doesn’t expect all that. He has a relaxed order. He will be a people’s man. He will capture everybody’s heart. I think he will be loved by the boys,” he said.
Apart from captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin is the only member of the current Indian side who has shared the Indian dressing room with Gambhir as a player.
India eye series sweep on Gambhir’s Test debut
Gambhir took over as Team India’s head coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended following India’s T20 World Cup triumph. Dravid chose not to reapply for the head coach position, and the BCCI announced Gambhir as his successor in June.
Gambhir’s first assignment saw mixed results, with India winning the T20I series but losing the ODI series in Sri Lanka.
The Chennai Test, the first of India’s 10-match run in the upcoming season, provided a significant boost of confidence for Gambhir and his support staff.
Ashwin’s all-round performance was a highlight, but the team also benefited from Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty 86 in the first innings. Ashwin and Jadeja combined for a 199-run partnership, rescuing India from a precarious 144 for 6 and propelling them to a commanding 376.
India continued to dominate with Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant bowling, which dismissed Bangladesh for 149. In the second innings, comeback players Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill each scored a century, further solidifying India’s position.
India will take on Bangladesh in the second and final Test in Kanpur on Friday.
