In most heated of times, exhale, take a step back: Rahul Dravid’s message to Gambhir

PTI, Jul 27, 2024, 12:15 PM IST

Former India coach Rahul Dravid passed a lead to his successor Gautam Gambhir in taming the tough situations he is bound to encounter – “exhale, take a step back”, a message that left the latter “emotional.” Dravid vacated the hot seat after India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in the Americas last month, and Gambhir took over the reins of the team from the on-going whiteball tour to Sri Lanka.

“From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights,” Dravid said in a video posted by BCCI on its ‘X’ handle.

Dravid’s dry wit came to the fore even amidst that touching message.

“Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said, eliciting a wide smile from Gambhir.

Gambhir sounded moved while thanking his predecessor for the wise words “I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.

“It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul Bhai – proud,” he said.

Dravid was certain that Gambhir, who carried a never-say-die attitude in his playing days, will bring his fighting qualities to the coaching job as well.

“As your teammate, I saw you giving it your all on the field. As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.

“I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job,” he said.

The 51-year-old, however, offered a word of caution to his one-time teammate about living under constant scrutiny.

“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense,” he said, also reminding that there will be overwhelming support for him from all quarters.

“But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.” Dravid hoped that Gambhir will have a fully-fit squad to work with, and will have the assistance of fortune in crunch moments.

“I also hope that you will also have the availability of fully fit players in every squad. Good luck with that. I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he noted.

The former Indian captain also urged Gambhir to forge a strong bond with the team members – something he managed to do during his tenure.

“Hello Gautam, and welcome to the most exciting job in our world, as coach of the Indian cricket team. It’s been three weeks since I ended my stint with the Indian team in a manner that was beyond my dreams, both in Barbados and a few days later in that unforgettable evening in Mumbai.

“More than anything else I will cherish the memories and friendships I made in my time with the squad. As you take over the role of India coach, it’s what I wish for you as well,” he added.

Gambhir imbibed Dravid’s words in their true sense, and said he has not seen a more “selfless” servant of Indian cricket.

“I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me. The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.

“I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul bhai has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.” Gambhir said Dravid’s association with Indian cricket is a text book for others to learn from.

“I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals,” he said.