Seeking to bury his differences with Sourav Ganguly for good, coach Greg Chappell on Tuesday admitted that the former captain has a lot to offer to the game as a batsman and has come back determined more than ever to excel.
Chappell also showed a willingness to revise his strategies for better results while revealing the hurt of the past few days when the team was not doing well.
The Aussie did not wince at the mention of Ganguly and spoke freely about his observations on the Bengal batsman.
"It was never personal on my part, it was about the direction the team needed to take collectively. Sourav perhaps needed that time away to come back focused," Chappell told reporters.
"It's the same with Zaheer Khan. They have a lot to offer to Indian cricket and it can go forward," said Chappell, adding it is time to let go those clouds hanging over their perceived relationship.
"I always thought Sourav had a lot to offer as a batsman but in Zimbabwe last year perhaps the captaincy was not allowing him the mental space."
Commenting on Ganguly's knocks at the Wanderers, Chappell admired the former Indian captain for his mental application in the middle.
"He always had a strong will, a very strong desire to represent India in Tests and certainly from a mental perspective, it was a very good effort on his part."
"He [Ganguly] has mentioned, and I am paraphrasing it as close to it as possible, is that guts and courage are the things required from this group. He has spoken about how cricket is not everything in his life. He is now more relaxed about the whole thing and we did see him bat with rare freedom in this match."
Chappell spoke about his willingness to compromise on his beliefs in one-day cricket, his stated "non-negotiable" aspect of fielding, if it was the need of the hour.
"You need to review. I am willing to compromise because runs and wickets are the two most important things in a game. But still you need some balance [in fielding].
"As an Australian I have strong views on the subject but I wouldn't ignore the reality. I am prepared to review for better results.
"Winning the World Cup is still a pie in the sky for every team. There is no guarantee. I would be happy if we could reach the semi-finals. Then it's a new tournament. Any of these four teams could win the trophy."
Chappell made a mention of how the young bowlers had made a contribution to the team and how much a difference the week in Potchefstroom had made to the team's fortunes.
"The way Sreesanth bowled in the Test, not for three or four deliveries in an over but six out of six, seam so straight coming out of his hand was admirable. This is the thing Munaf has learnt so well: it's not the pace but the consistency and pressure you can build which makes the difference."
Chappell praised Sreesanth for showing such admirable discipline in only his sixth Test and that too when he does not have such grounding in domestic cricket.
"He was suffering from diarrhoea during the Test and it was as much about the pressure he was undergoing as any food or other stuff he might have eaten. The first time he bowled 30 overs in a match was in the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua. These young boys haven't bowled that kind of spells in domestic cricket.
"It's not about bowling one magic ball. It's about bowling good spells. The lessons he must have absorbed internally would be important in his growth," Chappell said.
"In Potchefstroom, we probably realised that Rahul was taking too much responsibility. Physically and emotionally he was taking on too much. There were 20-minute sessions addressed by seniors because we, like any other successful unit, needed good leadership from them.
"I defy any successful unit to do so without a set of strong leadership. The mentoring which senior players provide to the team is critical."
Chappell admitted that like everybody else he too does not like criticism and had his low moments but could not afford to show it to his team.
"There were moments when I was frustrated, disappointed and dejected. But you can't be that for long. You keep doing what you need to do, shuffling to the Titanic deck. If you show you have no clue then you are gone. It can be contagious and I couldn't afford it."
Chappell then talked of his experience of coaching in India and whether his intimidating personality was cutting off the ways of communications with a few members of the side.
"A coach and a captain are seen to have a role in the selection process so it's only natural that players would be hesitant. That's why you need a strong support staff, avenues where the feedback of players could come to the team management."
"In that respect the kind of support staff you need to have is important. You don't want conflicting messages to go to players. They also need avenues to let themselves be heard," Chappell said.
"That's why when I took up the role I was keen on Ian [Fraser] joining us because he is different from me and is not seen as intimidating. The role of Gregory Allan King and John Gloster has been important, more so of Mane [massage specialist] because players spend more time with him than anyone else and share their physical and mental worry.
"That's why the leadership group has been important because just two people are not the answer to line of communications. You need different avenues. A strong leadership group is thus critical. Team members want to be heard and understood."
Chappell admired the team's resilience but said it is part of Indian culture to be resilient.
"Indians by nature are resilient because there is so fierce a battle for survival."
He also spoke of his experience of coaching an Indian team as a period where he too has grown as an individual.
"Before I took up the job I had said it was the toughest job in cricket. I have learnt more about coaching and self in the last 22 months. I have had perhaps more than my share of punishment but that goes with the territory."
Asked if he would have done anything differently, Chappell answered in the affirmative but said it was only natural for people to revise their belief as they went about a process.
