look news india
New Delhi, September 24 (HS). Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin praised newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir for his 'relaxed' approach, which has contributed to creating a lively atmosphere in the dressing room. Ashwin praised the former India opener and expressed confidence that Gambhir will be well liked by the current team and future members.
Ashwin made this comment on his YouTube channel after his first experience of working with coach Gambhir during the Chennai Test against Bangladesh. The veteran spinner performed brilliantly in his hometown, scoring a century in the first innings and taking six wickets in the second innings, helping India win by a huge margin of 280 runs.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted the difference between the dressing rooms led by Gambhir and Dravid.
He said, “I think he is very calm. I like to call him 'Relaxed Rancho'. There is no pressure on him at all. In the morning, there will be a team meeting. He is very calm about that as well. He will say 'are you coming, please come'. That's how it is.”
“With Rahul bhai, as soon as we come in, he wants things to be organised: even a bottle should be placed at a particular place at a particular time. He is very disciplined. He wants things to be organised, with Gambhir, he doesn't expect all this. He is a cool system guy. He will be a people's man. He will win everyone's hearts. I think he will be loved by the boys,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Also praising Rohit Sharma's leadership, Ashwin said, “Apart from that, Rohit is a very good leader who works together with everyone. Even when he is leading the team, we can see this. He is very calm and composed as a leader.”
Gambhir took over as Team India's head coach after Rahul Dravid's tenure ended following India's T20 World Cup win. Dravid decided not to re-apply for the head coach position and the BCCI announced Gambhir as his successor in June. Gambhir's first stint saw mixed results, with India winning the T20 series but losing the ODI series in Sri Lanka.
The Chennai Test, which was the first of India's 10-match series in the upcoming season, was a huge confidence booster for Gambhir and his support staff.
Ashwin's all-round performance was a highlight, but the team also benefited from Ravindra Jadeja's 86-run knock in the first innings. Ashwin and Jadeja put together a 199-run partnership that helped India recover from a fragile 144 for 6 to a mammoth total of 376.
India continued their dominance with Jasprit Bumrah's superb bowling which bundled out Bangladesh for 149 runs. Comeback players Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill scored centuries in the second innings, further strengthening India's position.
Ashwin's praise for Gambhir and the positive results from the Chennai Test augur well for India's upcoming season.
