Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has a golden advice for the current head coach Gautam Gambhir. Shastri advised Gambhir not to let any outside element influence the team and instead trust his own players.
Gautam Gambhir has had a difficult start to his coaching career with India losing to New Zealand recently 0-3 at home in a Test series. The defeat has put all the pressure on Gambhir and he will be aiming to make a solid comeback in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
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Ravi Shastri’s golden advice to Gautam Gambhir
While speaking in the Star Sports press room, Ravi Shastri was asked about any advice for Gautam Gambhir for the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia. He advised Gambhir to stay calm in all situations and not let the outside noise trouble the team atmosphere.
“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,” Shastri said.
“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,” he added.
Recently, India lost the Test series to New Zealand in a disappointing fashion at home and a no. of players were not up to the mark. Gambhir will have a big challenge to bail the team out of such a situation.
Ravi Shastri shares his own experience
Sharing his own experience, Ravi Shastri claimed that it took him time to build relationships with players and understand them. He asked Gambhir to understand the different mindsets and nature of every player and then work accordingly.
“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,” Shastri noted.
“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,” he added.
Ravi Shastri’s key role
Ravi Shastri was India’s head coach during the last two Test series wins in Australia. The former India allrounder played a key role and is especially credited for his role as a head coach during the last tour of Australia when a second-string Indian side stunned Australia on their soil.
The first Test of the five-match Test series will be played in Perth from November 22. The next four Tests will be played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. The second Test in Adelaide is the only match which will be a day-night one.
