"Rahul Dravid's mind is better than Gautam Gambhir" - Basit Ali after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series
Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali believes that Rahul Dravid is a more intelligent coach than his successor Gautam Gambhir. Dravid's stint as Team India's head coach ended following the Men in Blue's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
Gambhir has come under the scanner following India's home series defeat to New Zealand. India lost all three matches of the recently concluded series against the Black Caps, suffering their first-ever whitewash in a three-match home Test series.
Basit opined that Dravid was a smarter coach who knew what kind of pitches India needed to prepare to win at home. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 8:02):
"Rahul Dravid's mind is better than Gautam Gambhir. Dravid made pitches for four days, where the ball would turn on the last couple of days. You are now making such pitches where even someone who isn't a regular spinner is getting a lot of turn right from the first day."
Gambhir's stint as India's head coach has started on a dismal note. Under him, the Indian team also lost their first bilateral series against Sri Lanka in 27 years.
"He knew the psychology of the players" - Basit Ali on Rahul Dravid
Basit Ali emphasized that Rahul Dravid knew the psychology of the players and managed them accordingly, instead of forcing them to play in a certain way. He suggested that a player like Virat Kohli won't succeed if he is asked to bat like T20s in Test cricket.
Basit said in the aforementioned video (from 11:33):
"Rahul Dravid was a good coach. He knew the psychology of the players. If you tell Virat Kohli to play T10 and T20 in Test cricket, then it's unfair."
Gambhir's next big assignment will be India's five-match away Test series against Australia. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off in Perth on November 26. India need to win the series 4-0 to make it to the World Test Championship (WTC 2023-25) final on their own.