New Delhi: Senior India spinner R Ashwin recently opened up on the coaching styles of current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and his predecessor Rahul Dravid. Lauding Gambhir, Ashwin said the newly-appointed India head coach is a relaxed individual and helps in keeping the team environment light. The off-spinner said Gambhir has shown no signs of pressure at all so far into his stint.
Ashwin’s praise for Gambhir came after the India head coach got off to a winning start in his first Test assignment with the team. Ashwin was the hero as India thrashed Bangladesh by 280 runs in the 1st Test between the two teams at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
The veteran spinner produced a special all-round performance at his home ground as he notched up a brilliant knock of 113 runs in India’s first innings and followed it up with a six-wicket haul during Bangladesh’s 515-run chase in their second innings. Ashwin became the first player to achieve the rare double of a hundred and a fifer in a Test match twice at the same venue – Chennai.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel after the game, Ashwin revealed the difference between the approach of Gambhir and Dravid as coaches. While he termed Gambhir ‘relaxed rancho’ for his relaxed attitude, Ashwin recalled how Dravid was ‘regimented’ and wanted everything in order in the dressing room.
“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 in his video.
“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. 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 added.
Dravid to Gambhir – The passing of the baton
Gambhir replaced Dravid as the head coach of the Indian team after the legendary batter’s contract came to an end following India’s memorable triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024 earlier this year. Gambhir was the favourite to take over the reins having guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on his return to the side as a mentor.
Gambhir had a mixed start to his stint as the head coach of the Indian team as the Men in Blue lost an ODI series against Sri Lanka after winning a T20I series against the hosts in the Island nation. India will be hoping to wrap up a 2-0 clean sweep in the ongoing series against Bangladesh to hand Gambhir a strong start in Tests.
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