New Delhi, India

Ahead of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which gets underway on Friday (Nov. 22) in Perth, former Indian cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri has advised India head coach Gautam Gambhir to not make knee-jerk decisions during the tough Australia series. Gambhir is under pressure heading into the BGT following India getting whitewashed by New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home last month. Shastri has, however, suggested Gambhir take time to know his players and respect the sensibilities of each individual for India to perform well Down Under.

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Shastri said in the Star Sports press room, "I think the first thing would be to be calm, you know, don't let outside elements influence you in any way. Because of that, don't get into a position where knee-jerk reactions happen. Get to understand your players. You will see them in bad situations, you'll see them in India, you'll see them overseas; you know, you will, notice what it takes for a player to click. You will understand situations of a team where a certain player might be better than the other."

Also read: Perth Test: 'Don't want to jinx him,' Bumrah plays down Kohli's poor form, says he's 'ready for Aus challenge'

Shastri further added, "It took me some time to understand everyone. He might have seen them from the outside of the IPL, and he might have sat with a few players in the dressing room when he played the game, but there are a lot of other players and they come from different mindsets, different cultures, and different parts of the country. And for you to dig deep and understand their mindsets would be the most important thing. There could be a player, you know, who's an introvert, but actually, if you push him out there and give him the confidence, he could be a match-winner for you."

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Shastri became the first-ever Asian coach to win a Test series in Australia when India beat the Aussies 2-1 in 2018/19. Under him, a second-stringed Indian team replicated the same during the 2020/21 tour. It will be interesting to see if India wins three back-to-back series in Australia, this time under the coaching of Gambhir. The five-match Test series kicks off in Perth, where India will be without regular captain Rohit Sharma, who is on paternity leave).

Gambhir took over as India coach from Rahul Dravid (who succeeded Shastri) in July 2024, but has faced the heat following India's drubbing versus the Kiwis. India need to beat Australia 4-0 to qualify for next year's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, to be held in June at Lord's, London.