The current head coach of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir, has received a great suggestion from the former head coach of the side, Ravi Shastri, on the eve of the series opener in the five-match series at the Optus Stadium in Perth in November. The Blue Brigade is coming on the back of their 0-3 clean sweep at home against New Zealand.
Ravi Shastri was the very first Indian head coach to claim the BGT in Australia during the 2018/19 summer with a 2-1 series margin victory. It followed it up in the very next one during the 2020/21, especially with the absence of Virat Kohli after the day-night fixture in Adelaide, where they were bundled out for just 36 in the second innings of the encounter.
The former all-rounder of the national side has advised that it would be important for Gambhir to understand the mindset of the players and not make any knee-jerk decisions in the series.
Also Read: Shreyas Iyer Top Target For Delhi Capitals In IPL 2025 Mega Auction- Reports
Before the departure of the Indian team, the reports expressed that the members of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had a lengthy chat with the regular red-ball captain, Rohit Sharma, the head coach and the chief of their selection committee, Ajit Agarkar. A serious and hard decision could have been taken for the side if the touring side went on to lose the series by a 4-1 or 5-0 margin.
“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.” The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, expressed this in the Star Sports press room.
“You will see them in bad situations, you’ll see them in India, you’ll see them 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.” The veteran highlighted.
Ravi Shastri desires to see Gautam Gambhir respecting all the individuals
India was sitting at the top of the points table of the World Test Championship (WTC) and was in a healthy situation. But the whitewash of 0-3 against the Kiwis has now put them in a place where they will be needed to win the BGT 2024-25 with four victories without conceding a single defeat.
Ravi Shastri has built a relationship with the players, and that hasn’t happened overnight. Gambhir would need to be respectful to all the players and avoid heated moments in the dressing room. The Mumbai-born feels that the head coach of the Indian side would need to respect the sensibilities of each of the players and handle the strategy for success.
“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.” The renowned commentator explained.
Also Read: Ravi Shastri Betrays KL Rahul To Select India’s Opening Combination For Perth Test In BGT 2024-25
“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 if you push him out there and give him the confidence, he could be a match-winner for you.” Ravi Shastri claimed.
Only South Africa and West Indies have beaten Australia in a successive Test series for consecutive three times down under, and India will have a chance to make that record in golden ink.