Ravi Shastri who guided India to back to back series wins against Australia Down Under shared some pearls of wisdom with current coach Gautam Gambhir he advised the latter to keep calm and avoid knee jerk reactions over the course of the 5 Tests in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

“The first thing would be to stay calm and not let outside elements influence you in any way. Avoid getting into positions where knee-jerk reactions happen. Stay calm and focus on understanding your players. You’ll notice what it takes for a player to thrive,” Shastri told Gambhir while talking to media in the Star Sports press room.

“You’ll understand team situations where a certain player might be better suited than another, based on your understanding of their temperament. These insights don’t come overnight — it took me some time to understand everyone. Gautam might already have a basic understanding of the players’ temperaments. He might have seen them in the IPL or sat in the dressing room with them when he played,” he added.

Shastri also told Gambhir that understanding the mindset of the players will go a long way in them finding success in a tough tour like this.

“There are many players with different mindsets, cultures, and backgrounds. For example, there could be a player who’s an introvert, but with the right push and confidence, he could become a match-winner for you. Understanding those kinds of players and enabling them to work and play in a way that brings out their best would be crucial,” he said.

Gambhir who has a fiery temperament had been branded ‘prickly’ by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting after the Indian coach got irked by his comments regarding Virat Kohli’s batting form ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.