Gautam Gambhir thanks Gary Kirsten
Stylish India opener, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gary-Kirsten-c58527 adding that the coach has given him a lot of confidence that has helped him emerge as a groomed batsman.
"Kirsten worked on my game, he has helped me a lot,” said Gambhir. “Unlike other coaches, he has never asked me to make changes in my game. Importantly, he understood me both as a player and person.”
The 29-year-old batsman said that the presence of former South Africa opener in the dressing room has always been an encouragement for him.
"Kirsten worked on my basics and tried to improve on them. It was quite encouraging coming from a person who has played 100-odd Tests."
Kirsten, since joining the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 2008 has worked a lot with the side and it is under his able coaching that the 'Men in Blue' are leading the Test arena today and have won eight of their last nine ODI series.
Gambhir said that he is one of the players who have prospered under Kirsten’s coaching.
The 29-year-old left-hander made his Test debut in November 2004 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and had only one Test ton to his name till 2007 and was struggling to cement his place in the national side when Kirsten took over as head coach in 2008.
The appointment of South African proved to be a blessing for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 batsman he scored two more centuries and a double century in Kirsten’s first year as coach. The next year saw Gambhir scripting four hundreds in five Test matches as he was voted as the
ICC test player of the year in 2009.
Gambhir said that Test cricket is the most important form of the game as it ultimately tests the player’s technique. He said that he had always been nervous playing the five-day games before Kirsten joined the team and helped him overcome
his weaknesses
“I was nervous playing Tests, but Kirsten helped me work on the areas a left-hander needs to work on and thankfully things started to work out for me," said Gambhir.
Gambhir, who was sent home after he injured his left hand during the first Test against the Proteas at Centurion, said that it is always hard to play in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 and the keenly fought series against the Proteas was a good preparation
for next month’s World Cup which gets underway on 19 February.
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