Fielding coach R Sridhar reveals how different Ravi Shastri is from Anil Kumble

What’s the story?

Having worked with Team India for three years and been a part of the team with both Ravi Shastri and Anil Kumble, fielding coach R Sridhar knows just how the two differ from one another.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, he spelt out the difference, “Shastri was somebody who was character-based. He wanted characters in the team, so he worked on that kind of approach. He wanted to take that approach to the field. Kumble was someone who wanted to achieve excellence in his own way. They were two different people, they cannot be the same.”

Without saying it with many words, Sridhar did hint that Kumble should have followed Virat Kohli’s pack rather than the other way round.

“What is important in today’s cricket as a leader is to follow the energies within the group. It is important to be receptive. You have to yield to the demands of the group and you have to make sure that each guy is in the best possible space,” he said.

In case you didn’t know…

Earlier this month, following weeks of speculation, Kumble stepped down from his position of the Head Coach of the Indian team. In a statement released by him, the former leg-break bowler revealed that the captain had reservations with his “style” and consequently, the partnership had become “untenable”.

Following Kumble’s resignation, the BCCI allowed fresh applications for the post of the Head Coach. It has been widely reported that Shastri, who is favoured by captain Kohli, will apply for the post and will thus become a frontrunner in the race.

The heart of the matter

According to Sridhar, the current team are an experienced lot and this experience should be allowed to take over. It is important to be inclusive and take the decisions in the best interest of the team but to be a good leader, one has to be a good follower.

In effect, what he probably meant was, to lead Kohli, one has to let him do his own things. And, this is exactly what makes Shastri the ideal man for the role.

Sridhar feels that the transition should not be very difficult as the team is well equipped. He concluded by saying that the members of the team are professionals and they know how to prepare for each match.

What’s next?

The Indian team is currently touring the West Indies following which they will embark on a tour to Sri Lanka. The CAC, meanwhile, have their task cut out as they look to appoint a new head coach before the Lanka tour.

Author’s take

It does not take a great deal to figure out what Sridhar meant by what he said. Probably, he was right too. A different, less stringent approach might just be what the Indian team needs and who better than Shastri to do that.

There is little doubt that Shastri will gel much better with Kohli than the more workmanlike Kumble. He can deliver the morning speech in his stentorian accent and charge up the team before the captain takes over.