Harsha Bhogle on Coach Gautam Gambhir

0:00 It's supposed to be that time of the week when uh I do the world this week, but look at all that's happened in the last seven days, completely dominated by that great test match at the Oval. And we've spoken at length about this. And so I thought I would focus this week on the one personality who depending on which way you look at him is either in the background or in your face, but someone I've got to know well over the years. And I thought I'd look at what Gotham Gambir is doing. To understand Gautam Gambir is to know his attitudes, his preferences. He is an absolute lover of the armed forces. I think in another avatar he would have liked to be there in himself. And I can almost imagine a young captain or a major leading a group of men trying to do the impossible

0:46 trying to go up the hill recapture the hill against enemy forces. That would be a very Walter Mitiesesque look at Gotham Gambir. But that is who he is to and that is why you can see Gautam Gambir constantly talking about culture and about there being no room for the individual in a team because that is so army that is so armed forces that is something he so loves he will not have individuals standing out he'll want everybody to merge in and that is his culture when you look at Gotham the cricketer what do I remember Gotham Gir the cricketer as Riti weighed into situations, made the most of what his

1:32 ability would allow him to was an outstanding, genuinely world class, among the best in the world at his prime, but someone who was at his best against the odds. That great innings in New Zealand that I thought defined him as an individual that World Cup final. Now remember, he's played a key part, but the credit's gone elsewhere. I'm not sure he's resentful of the credit going elsewhere but I think he would have wanted all it always to be India first India not an individual who did it but again I could be reading between the lines here but that that is Gautam Gambir and that is why he likes players like those and you could see that attitude of never backing away in his confrontation with that groundsman. Now

2:17 maybe maybe he shouldn't have gone a little overboard with the cuss words but Gotham can can be in the heat of battle in a manner of speaking in course of time. I'd like to see what kind of coach he evolves into and I want to look at another coach that Gotham himself was very fond of as a person. Gotham Gambir could not be too different from Gary Kirsten. Gary Kirsten, very softspoken, very gentle, very polite, very in the background, never in your face. But Gotham told me that when Gary Kirsten came in, he was going through a little crisis of confidence because earlier coaches were trying to change his style of batting. Gary Kirsten came and said

3:03 to him, "You've become very successful being one kind of player. Now let us improve the kind of player that you are because if you weren't good you won't you wouldn't come so far. So let's work on your strengths. Let makes let's make you a better player. But Gary Kerson was also the kind of player who took a long time to get to know people understand what made them tick and then came up with that for Gotham. I'd like to see Gotham adopt a similar style with the younger players and say okay what do you like the most? what are you most comfortable doing and then let us let us see if we can make you better and that is why I always think you must judge a coach yes to some extent by the results he's delivered but not so much because

3:48 he's never in the figure of it all it's a captaincy the players are out on the ground but whether players became better under his tutilage I think the answer to that is largely yes so far with with Gotham Gambir and I'm we're talking red ball now because we're Just coming to the end of what happened in England that yesterday JPal came back scored a 100 and reversed a tour that was heading downhill I think is a plus. Schuman Gil had his best series as a player just rose and rose and rose as a person and player. Washington Sundar became a better and better player and I thought KL Rahul had his best series ever. I don't know how much of that you can correlate directly back to the coach but I think there is general association there. under Gautam Gamir Prasid Krishna's becoming a better

4:35 player remember the last test match in Sydney towards the end of that tour took some time to get used again to English conditions but was the forgotten hero of the win at the oval I mean admittedly we all talked about sir I did as well Prasid Krishna got eight wickets there too so I think Prasid is the other player who's growing under Goautam Gambir I think that's a good metric to judge people by going ahead I'd like to see how Akash deep grows I'd like to see how sci Sudaran grows and I'd like to see the relationship he forges with Jasped Bumrah because Bumrah is a very unique rare talent the best in the world at what he does but has these limitations that are now growing on him on how much he can do. I've not mentioned Risha Pan because I don't

5:21 think it matters to Puntu with the coaches. He'd be the same person anyway come what may. So the these are going to be a couple of challenges, couple of young players, one one star player, but I think he's here to stay. There was a phase I think uh towards the end of the test match in Manchester. Look at the record up to then India have lost 3-0 to New Zealand. That was a series to be forgotten. India have lost 3-1 to Australia and India down 2-1 about to go down 3-1. India lose that test in Manchester. Very very difficult to come back at the oval. It could well be 4-1. The whispers are starting to grow. Does India need a separate red ball coach? Should Gautam Gambir only be a white ball coach where his record is extraordinary second to none. Is there

6:06 anything to suggest that Goautam Gambir is a better white ball coach than a red ball coach? Well, the numbers are overwhelmingly saying so. Outstanding leader for the Kolkata night riders. Delivered them wins in 2012 2014. Went away to become member of parliament. Then came back with the Lucknau Super Giants. I thought she had a fab one of the best auctions that I've seen with Lucknau Super Giants. Delivered them two playoff positions in their first two years. Went back to KKR. delivered them a win against the odds in 24 and has been a very very successful white ball coach for for India even I mean remember the most stunning win probably came in South Africa when the main players were not there Gotham wasn't there as well but goes and wins the champions trophy where India just strolled through rarely

6:52 as a team dominated a tournament as much as that so yes and I think I think Gotham is very Gotham Gam is very good at the tactical side of T20 he loves data he loves He loves that side of the game. He's got a great track record. So my suggestion to all of you when you're looking at Gotham Gambir, put aside what you see straight away, this big in-your-face guy who's always responding strongly and look at the deeper qualities in Gautam Gambir and you understand him a lot better. To recap, hates the cult of the individual. It's always the team team team wants to bring that build that great culture and loves to work with those kind of people around him. Look who look who is put together now around Monet Moral softspoken below

7:40 the radar. Ryan Tendoskott lovely human being just below the radar. Now you've got Sidan Shikot and Adrien Laru one of the great best trainers going around in world cricket very quiet under the radar. None of them is going to pop up and say me. Gotham will not pop up and say me. So he's starting to build that culture and that group around and you can see that he's comfortable with people around him. That happens all the time. You can see that with Surya Kumar Yadav as the T20 captain as well. It was way back 10 years ago when Surya Kumar Yadav had this reputation of being a slightly wild effevescent explosive kind of talent. He made him vice captain at KKR back in 20145 because he saw

8:25 something in Surya Kumar. We are starting to s see that in his captaincy. So, so look at Gautam Gambir from all that. You'll see a different picture as you would imagine right through this. I've got I've got time for Gotham Gambir. I think we should all give him time as well. >> So, thank you for watching and do subscribe to this channel.