India head coach Gautam Gambhir arguably has his job on the line, after series defeats against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. As the Indian team prepares itself for the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, Gambhir is undoubtedly under pressure to deliver. Else, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could start to look at other options in the longest format of the game. Ravi Shastri, the coach of India’s first team that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, has sent Gambhir an important message ahead of his new assignment.
Shastri, who led the Indian team to new highs during his stint as the head coach, has advised Gambhir to not let outside elements influence him in any manner. Shastri also wants Gambhir to avoid knee-jerk reactions to situations.
“I think would be the first thing would be to be calm, you know, don’t let outside elements, influence you in any way. Because of that, don’t get into a position where knee-jerk reactions happen. Get to understand your players. You will see them in bad situations, you’ll see them in India, you’ll see them in overseas, you know, you will, notice what it takes for a player to click. You will understand situations of a team where a certain player might be better than the other,” Ravi Shastri said during a chat in the Star Sports press room.
Shastri also wants Gambhir to understand each player he works with. Sharing his own experiences, Shastri said that it took him a long time to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of every player.
“It took me some time to understand everyone. He might have seen them from the outside of the IPL, and he might have sat with a few players in the dressing room when he played the game, but there are a lot of other players and they come from different mindsets, different cultures, and different parts of the country. And for you to dig deep and understand their mindsets would be the most important thing. There could be a player, you know, who’s an introvert, but actually, if you push him out there and give him the confidence, he could be a match-winner for you,” Shastri concluded.
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