Gautam Gambhir’s beginning as India’s head coach since replacing Rahul Dravid after India won T20 World Cup earlier in the year is rather ambiguous. Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that the Indian supporters or managers should not see this as a worry.
Gambhir’s first assignment and still remains his only one so far during India’s tour of Sri Lanka, where the team swept their hosts 3-0 in T201 series but lost two games in a row in ODIs. Rhodes mentioned that adapting to change takes time always.
“I think any time there’s a change, whether it be the leadership from a captaincy point of view or from a coach and management (point of view), it’s going to take an adjustment,” the South African, who gave a different dimension to the art of fielding, was quoted as saying by India Today.
“So once they find their feet, we know India has the strength and the talent pool and the depth of talent to certainly allow him (Gambhir) to hit the ground and pick up speed very quickly in his coaching career.”
Jonty Rhodes Provides His Insights on the Coach of Team India
According to Rhodes, who had already worked with Gambhir during his period in LSG, the former India opener and World Cup champion is always looking for perfection and possesses a winning mentality.
Rhodes teamed up with Gambhir when they were both associated with the Indian Premier League’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) think-tank where at one point in time, Gambhir had the responsibility of team mentoring.
“I know how passionate he is. He looks for excellence on and off the field, but he doesn’t expect players to do something that he never did or he won’t do. So I think from that point of view, he’s somebody who’s not gonna be lenient with anybody unless it’s required because he’s expecting,” stated Rhodes, who will serve as the brand ambassador for Pro Cricket League.
“He (Gambhir) just wants excellence. I mean he wants the team to win, and it’s not for his record or for what he can achieve.”
Under Gambhir’s leadership, India is all again in motion, holding a two-Test series against Bangladesh that will start later this month.
