Former India opener and mentor Gautam Gambhir’s single-minded objective of winning at all costs and striving to extract fully out of his players make him a ‘team coach’, said fast bowler Avesh Khan. However, Gambhir, who was officially appointed India’s next head coach earlier this week, will start his journey with an away white-ball series comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs in Sri Lanka from June 26. Avesh, who has played under Gambhir’s mentorship for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL, shared a few insights on his style on Friday.
“Whatever I have learned from him, it is about the mindset that you should always look to get the better of your opponent and give your 100 per cent,” Avesh told BCCI ahead of India’s fourth T20I here on Saturday against Zimbabwe. “In team meetings, as well as one-on-ones, he would speak less but would convey his point as to what is to be done. He would assign tasks and roles to players and he has always been a ‘team coach’, he always wants to win and everyone to give their 100 per cent,” Avesh said.
With six wickets in three outings, Avesh Khan said he has enjoyed bowling at the Harare Sports Club.
“We have played on different wickets here. We played the first two matches on the same deck, there was good bounce in the first match but in the second it had flattened out. The conditions are good, since it is an open ground the ball also swings a bit. But since these matches are played in daytime, sometimes the wicket dries up but as a bowler you should be prepared to bowl in all situations. I always try to take wickets for my team and with bigger boundaries here, as a bowler that is enjoyable,” Avesh Khan again added.
While talking about his evolution, Avesh Khan said that his focus has been on making his captain’s job easier as well.
“I try to give a freehand to the captain, in terms of using me whenever he wants to. If a captain has a bowler who can be used in all three stages — powerplay, middle overs and in the death — his number of options increases. As a bowler, I always think of providing that as an option, bring in new elements such as developing a slow bouncer or a leg-cutter from outside off-stump or near the wide line,” Avesh Khan further added.
Avesh Khan also said that Jasprit Bumrah’s clarity of thoughts in execution as a bowler has made him different from others.
“Like Virat bhai said, he is once in a generation bowler, it is true and we all believe so. His style of bowling and his mindset are different, but main (thing) is his execution, for which we all practice. Whenever I speak with him, he tells me to focus on the execution. If you are thinking of sending down a yorker, then it has to be a yorker; it cannot be a full toss or a half volley, a bouncer has to be on the shoulders; a length ball has to be (aimed at) the top of off (stump),” Avesh Khan concluded.
