India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: Most coaches or captains take great pride in imparting their unique style of playing, their way of leaving behind a legacy. Coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli brought about a hyper-aggressive win-at-all-cost attitude to the Indian team; Brendon McCullum has imposed ‘Bazball’ as coach of England team and Darren Lehman restored the bloody-mindedness in the Aussies during his tenure as coach….These are just a few examples.
Gautam Gambhir, who took over as the Head Coach of the Indian team post the T20 World Cup following the exit of Rahul Dravid, is overseeing his second assignment and the first Test of the two-match series that kicks off against Bangladesh on Thursday. When asked what style he would like to adopt, the 42-year-old said he doesn’t believe in playing cricket a certain way and the focus is only on winning games.
“Look, I've always been a believer that the best style is the style that wins and we want to be a team that adapts and that learns quickly, rather than adopting one style,” Gambir said at the pre-match press conference. “Because if you start adopting one style, then there is no growth. We want guys to be playing the situation, the conditions and then keep growing every day. And that is all that matters. You know all this, giving a name to a certain style and playing only one way, see, ultimately sport is all about results. And the best style, as I just mentioned, is the style that wins.”
Bangladesh, although having never beaten India in Tests, have arrived in Chennai with a spring in their step following the historic 2-0 triumph over Pakistan. Gambhir acknowledged the Tigers' growth in world cricket but said while the Indian team respects them, they don’t fear anyone and are determined to seal a 2-0 win.
“Look, I've been a very big believer that we fear no one but we respect everyone. And we don't take any opposition lightly. That is what international cricket is all about. We respect Bangladesh and we will always respect any opposition. But yes, we've got to go out there and play the brand of cricket what we want to play.
“I think we've got to try and give everything possible on the cricket field because that is what champion sides do. They don't look at the opposition. They try to control the game. They try to play the way they want to play the game.”
Gambhir was also glad to see the return of Rishabh Pant, one of the genuine match winners in the Indian team.
“We all know how destructive he can be and what he's done in Test cricket. Obviously, it gives him the freedom to gather and express himself. He's got runs everywhere around the world and not many wicketkeepers of that age and in this era have got runs so consistently in red-ball cricket. So it is always good to have someone like him who can open the game for us, and more importantly, can bring a lot of impact as well.”