3 Indian coaches who were more influential than Ravi Shastri

Since 1990, Indian cricket has had a full-time coach for the team, marking an end to the previous policy of managers accompanying the team. Over the years, some of the greats of the game have embraced this position and taken up the hot seat of India's head coach.

Bishan Singh Bedi was the first person to be nominated as India's full-time head coach, but the veteran spinner couldn't hold on to his position for more than an year - mainly due to his outspoken behavior.

In all these years, India has been privileged to witness 13 men who have tried their luck with the team. But only a few of them have completed their full term as Indian coach.

The latest addition to the list sees Ravi Shastri at the helm of things. A man who was known for his charm during his heyday and later as a a very open-minded commentator who never held his words, Shastri doesn't care what people opine about him as long as the team does well under his guidance.

But at times, the former Indian player has been in the firing lane with some of the decisions by the team management, considering he is the protagonist along with the skipper. Many have questioned the influence he wields in the team, with suggestions abounding that he is merely a yes-man to Virat Kohli.

Here, we take a look at three former Indian coaches who had a greater impact in Indian cricket than Shastri seemingly does right now:

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#3. Anil Kumble

Kumble is often regarded as the biggest match winner that the country has ever produced in its history of Test cricket. A veteran of 132 Tests and 271 ODIs, he held a special place in Indian cricket even before he opted to apply for the prestigious coaching job.

Considering his attitude in his playing days, there was no doubt that Kumble was going to inculcate a similar 'never say die attitude' in his players during his tenure as a coach, and to an extent he did.

No one can deny India's success during his coaching period, despite the unlikely exit that he had to face due to the reservations shown by the team towards his style of coaching. Under his leadership, India won a Test series in West Indies and were unbeaten at home and were ranked as the No. 1 Test side during 2016-17.

Kumble's last assignment with the team saw India failing in the ultimate hurdle, against Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy Final.

Kumble's role in India's success at home can never be disregarded. That's particularly so since it came at such a crucial time - when Kohli was beginning to get into the groove of captaincy after MS Dhoni gradually started taking a back seat.

#2. John Wright

India's first foreign recruit, John Wright took the onus as India's head coach along with a young skipper in Sourav Ganguly to revive Indian cricket that was going through a phase of turmoil.

The duo of Ganguly-Wright was instrumental in bringing back the confidence of Indian fans and followers by doing something that nobody was accustomed to in the earlier days - winning abroad.

The team had very successful outings overseas during the 2000-2005 period. Winning the Kolkata Test match in March 2001 triggered the momentum in India's favor and instilled a certain confidence to beat the best in the world.

They went on to drew the series in 2002 against England, and in 2004 they drew against Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Indian cricket was at its best then as this young group of boys even reached the final of the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa.

After the match-fixing scandals, cricket was once again the talking point in the country - but this time for all good reasons. India's maiden Test series victory in Pakistan in 2004 was one of the highlights of Wright's career as Indian coach.

#1. Gary Kirsten

The former South African batsman was nominated as Indian coach in 2008 and he continued his term until the end of the next World Cup in 2011. Kirsten was always praised for his man-management skills and his ability to back his players till the very end.

Kirsten had a decent impact on cricket in India, with the 2011 World Cup victory being the highlight of his career as Indian coach. During his tenure, India didn't lose a single series at home, and even won 2-0 against Australia to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It was in 2009, under Kirstern's stewardship, that India won a major Test series in New Zealand after a span of 40 long years. He also coached India to their first bilateral ODI series win in Sri Lanka.

Kirsten always knew when to take the back seat, allowing the players to blossom in their prime. His camaraderie with MS Dhoni and the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly was enough of an indication about his mature attitude.

The 50-year-old remains one of India's finest coaches, and he definitely deserves a mention in the Indian cricket history books.