Ravi Shastri might have left a mark in Indian cricket after his tenure as head coach of the national side ended following the T20 World Cup but his comments certainly did not sit well with everybody, especially Gautam Gambhir. Shastri might not have won an ICC title during his tenure as the head coach of the Indian cricket team but under him, the team marked a drastic change in their overseas performances, especially in Australia and England where Virat Kohli's side started winning consistently. Shubman Gill Set To Bat in the Middle-Order in India’s First Test Against New Zealand 2021 in Kanpur: Reports
In many of his statements, he had referred to this Indian team being the best and Gambhir was not particularly pleased with such comments as the cricketer-turned-politician found them to be 'surprising'. "The one thing I found surprising is that when you are performing well, you don't generally boast about it. It's fine if others talk about it. When we won the World Cup in 2011, no one gave statements that we are the best team in the world, let alone the country," Gambhir said, as quoted by Times Now Navbharat. Gambhir referred to Shastri's comment stating that India's Test series win in Australia in 2018-19 was 'as big, or even bigger' than the historic 1983 World Cup win. IND vs NZ T20I 2021: Rahul Dravid Says ‘Need To Keep Our Feet on Ground’ After India’s 3–0 Series Win Over New Zealand
He further went on to highlight the difference between Shastri and current India head coach Rahul Dravid. When you win, let others talk about it. "You won (Test series) in Australia, that's a big achievement no doubt. You performed well in England, no doubt. But let others praise you. Rahul Dravid will never give such statements. Whether the Indian team plays well or not, his statements will always remain balanced. Also, it will reflect on other players. Humility is very important, regardless of the results. Cricket won't go on forever. I think Dravid's major focus will be on players being good human beings first," he added.," Gambhir added.
India started off Dravid's tenure as full-time head coach on a very high note as they blanked New Zealand 3-0 in a T20I series at home. Despite missing key players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami, India went on to register victories in all three matches, in what was also Rohit Sharma's first series as full-time T20I skipper. If these performances are anything to go by, India's preparations for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year certainly seem to be headed in the right direction.
Rahul Dravid's next assignment would be the two-match Test series against New Zealand which starts from November 25 in Kanpur.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 22, 2021 10:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).