Chennai. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Gautam Gambhir. He called Gambhir a great ‘fighter (who never gives up)’ and a source of inspiration. Ashwin, one of Team India’s best spinners, said that the opening batsman encouraged him in the early days of his Test career. Gambhir is the frontrunner to replace Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach.
R Ashwin recalls a conversation with Gautam Gambhir during his first full series for India against New Zealand in 2012. ‘I was playing my first full series,’ he said at the launch of his book ‘I Have the Streets – A Kutty Cricket Story’. During the two years before the World Cup (2011), I was only carrying drinks to the ground. It gave me a lot of confidence in the beginning. This had not happened before outside my state (Tamil Nadu).
‘Often misunderstood because of their nature’
The 37-year-old off-spinner said Gambhir was often misunderstood because of his nature. According to Ashwin, ‘Gautam Gambhir has been greatly misunderstood. It’s all about perception. He is like a warrior who does not like to admit defeat. The biggest problem with many of us is that we give hero status to someone in our minds and forget everyone else. This is a game, not a movie story. There are no heroes and villains here. is a serious competitor. His desire and hunger to win is incredible. I have great respect (for him). Gambhir has been a member of the world winning team twice.
Tags: Gautam Gambhir, R. Ashwin, Ravichandran Ashwin
First published: June 21, 2024, 22:45 IST