Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian all-rounder, has heaped praise on Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir, the former and current head coaches of the Indian cricket team, respectively. Ashwin, who has played under both Dravid and Gambhir, believes that their passion for Indian cricket is “palpable.”
Dravid, who took over as head coach in 2021, guided India to its maiden ICC T20 World Cup title earlier this year. Under his leadership, India also achieved notable victories in Test series against England, Australia, and Bangladesh.
Gambhir, who succeeded Dravid as head coach in 2023, has had a mixed start to his tenure. India won the T20I series against Sri Lanka but suffered an unprecedented ODI series defeat to the same opposition. However, they bounced back to complete a Test series sweep over Bangladesh.
Ashwin, who has witnessed the transition from Dravid to Gambhir, believes that there is no significant difference in their approach or passion for Indian cricket. “I don’t see huge differences in how they approach the game or the passion they have for Indian cricket,” Ashwin said. “Their passion is at the highest level.”
Ashwin also praised Dravid and Gambhir for their knowledge and love for the game. “They bring an incredible amount of love to that dressing room,” he said. “To have them pass on their knowledge, it’s like having two cricketing geeks to talk cricket with.”
The new era of Indian cricket under Gambhir has begun with a mixed bag of results. India will now shift its focus to the T20I format for the three-match series against Bangladesh, followed by a three-match Test series against New Zealand.
