When Gautam Gambhir was named the head coach of India in July, it was a sea change for Indian cricket. The former opening batsman replaced Rahul Dravid, whose two-year tenure completed with the triumph of India in the T20 World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir’s Different Approach
Dravid’s ways are considered to be meek and diplomatic, while Gambhir is touted to bring in a different dynamic into the Indian team through his candid and blunt ways.
Gambhir took off on a high note, recording a 3-0 T20I series win over Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav. Early success was short-lived though as a 0-2 defeat in the following ODI series against the same team made that win a sidetracker.
The chemistry between Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir will be intriguing to watch as India prepares for a jam-packed 2024/25 calendar year of cricket. The serious work for the duo will start later this month when India take on Bangladesh in a two-Test series that marks the resumption of their World Test Championship campaign.
‘Gambhir Is Very Passionate About Indian Cricket’, Says Ashwin
Ahead of the series against Bangladesh, Ashwin spoke about the leadership styles of both Rohit and Gambhir when he had an honest chat with the journalist Vimal Kumar. Both these leaders have acumen as far as cricket is concerned but their style of leadership is different.
“Gauti bhai is very intense. There are similarities between Rohit and Gauti bhai’s leadership, but Rohit keeps it light. Gauti bhai is an intense person,” Ashwin said.
“He (Gambhir) is very passionate about Indian cricket, just like Rahul (Dravid) bhai. Both are very passionate about Indian cricket, but we believe both are different. Yes, they have different personalities. But people are like, ‘MS Dhoni was cool, so everyone should be cool’. It isn’t like that. Everyone has their own methods, and we should encourage that,” said Ashwin further.
The Indian off-spinner was last seen competing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League and has been absent from international cricket since March, following India’s previous Test series. As India prepares to resume Test cricket against Bangladesh, Ashwin is expected to be a key player in the squad. With 10 Tests left in the current World Test Championship cycle, these matches will be crucial in determining if India can maintain its top position and secure a spot in the final for the third consecutive time.
