Gautam Gambhir recalls how Australia coach Justin Langer had helped him improve his batting

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir owes a lot to Australia’s current head coach Justin Langer. The cricketer-turned-politician recently revealed that how working with the former Australia opener helped him overcome hindrances by improving his approach both towards cricket and life. He went Down Under to meet Langer while eyeing a comeback into the Indian team some five years ago and the stint helped him massively.

Speaking about Langer, who took up the reins at a challenging time and saw the Kangaroos turn around over a year and a half and has skipped the India series starting Tuesday to take a break, Gambhir said in a column in the Times of India. “He was left-handed like me, an opening batsman like me and looked a little grumpy like me. I could relate to him. As it turned out, we both loved to talk cricket. We spoke about the game, batting, mental aspects and above all – life,” stated Gambhir.

Gautam Gambhir was impressed with Justin Langer’s research depths

The BJP parliamentarian from East Delhi said he loved the way Langer does his research work. “My first meeting with Langer happened at his small but extremely fascinating office cabin at the WACA stadium in Perth. He was the coach of the Western Australian state team.”

“A few pleasantries later, he showed me a clip of my batting for Kolkata Knight Riders on a computer screen on a small table in his office. I think in about five minutes he explained to me my problem. He knew my older technique, how it changed over the years and to where it was in 2015. I knew I had made the right choice,” the 38-year-old, who quit cricket in 2018 end, said.

Langer will be replaced by his senior assistant Andrew McDonald in the short tour of India that features three ODIs. Gambhir’s form plummeted during the tour of England in 2014 and he had to wait for two more years to play for India again in the long format. In 2016, his top form in the Indian Premier League saw him returning to a Test series against New Zealand at home and made a fifty.

He got to play a Test match against England in November that year but that turned out to be his final international game. Yet, Gambhir remembers the contribution that Langer made to help him extend his sinking international career.

“I also had a chance to attend one of Langer’s coaching workshops at the WACA. With each passing day I was getting convinced that he can be the man to take Australian cricket forward,” Gambhir said.

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