Chennai. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Gautam Gambhir. He has described Gambhir as an excellent ‘fighter’ and a source of inspiration. Ashwin, one of the best spinners of Team India, said that this opener had encouraged him in the early days of his Test career. Gambhir is leading the race to replace Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach.
R Ashwin recalled his conversation with Gautam Gambhir during his first full series for India against New Zealand in 2012. He said at the launch of his book ‘I Have the Streets – A Kutty Cricket Story’, “I was playing my first full series. During the first two years before the World Cup (2011) I used to carry only drinks to the field. He gave me a lot of confidence in the beginning. This had not happened before outside my state (Tamil Nadu).”
‘He has often been misunderstood because of his temperament’
The 37-year-old off-spinner said that Gambhir has often been misunderstood due to his nature. According to Ashwin, ‘Gautam Gambhir has been very misunderstood. It is all about perception. He is like a warrior who does not like to accept defeat. The biggest issue with many of us is that we give someone the status of a hero in our mind and forget everyone else. This is a game, not a film story. There are no heroes and villains here. Gambhir is a competitor. His desire and hunger to win is incredible. I have a lot of respect (for him).’ Gambhir has been a member of the world champion team twice.
Tags: Gautam Gambhir, R ashwin, Ravichandran ashwin
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 21, 2024, 22:45 IST