India head coach Gautam Gambhir has emphasised on building a strong team culture based on qualities of hard work and improvement, which should attract players even when players keep changing over time.

Gambhir conveyed his thoughts in a brief dressing room speech after India secured a memorable 2-2 draw against England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Monday, giving their opponents a tough fight over the course of five Tests. “The way this series has panned out, 2-2, is an outstanding result. Congratulations to everyone,” Gambhir said in a video shared by BCCI.

“Remember, we will keep getting better. We will keep working hard. We will keep improving our areas because if we keep doing that, we can dominate cricket for a very long time. People will come and go, but the culture of the dressing room should always be like that. People want to be a part of this culture. That is what we want to create,” said Gambhir, after India averted the possibility of a third consecutive series loss.

Two consecutive series losses to New Zealand and Australia had forced India into a transition period as a young side under Shubman Gill took on England. “Good luck, enjoy yourself. You can take a couple of days off and you deserve every bit of it. What you guys have achieved, you deserve every bit of it,” said Gambhir. The gathering also saw all-rounder Washington Sundar being given the ‘Impact Player of the Series’ award, which was handed to him by senior player Ravindra Jadeja.

Washington said, “It is a great blessing to be playing four games on the trot in a place like England. I always wanted to do well here and as a team, just the way we went about every single day, it was amazing. The energy that we created, especially from a fielding perspective, we were always there for each other. Thank you so much for everything.”

BCCI may not allow stars to pick and choose games

Gambhir has always been against the mega-star culture prevailing in Indian cricket, but Mohammed Siraj’s Herculean effort throughout the English summer has definitely given the Indian head coach a real shot in the arm. The 2-2 series draw in England will certainly empower Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar to crack the whip and usher in a uniform team culture where certain individuals would not be treated more than equals any longer.

It is understood that the selection committee, Gambhir and the decision makers in the Indian cricket board are all on the same page with regard to putting an end to players picking and choosing games and series in the pretext of workload management. “There have been discussions and the message will be sent across to the centrally contracted players, especially those who are all format regulars that this culture of picking and choosing games won’t be entertained in near future,” a senior BCCI official said.

Pertinently, the performance of Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep has proven that even the biggest of stars are dispensable and no one is bigger than the team.