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Pataudi taught players to put country before self: Bishan Singh Bedi

There is an important reason why Tiger Pataudi stands head and shoulders above every other Indian cricket captain. He was the first man who brought into the dressing room a sense of Indian-ness, a feeling of belonging to, and playing for a country. This is something which is very hard to put in words, but everyone who played under him would sense it and be on their toes. Before him, the Indian cricket team used to be a mere, loose congregation of people from Bombay or Chennai or Punjab. Under him, players first learnt to put country above self. Its an intangible but priceless contribution. Significantly, Tiger achieved this by being an outsider. His upbringing ensured that he always stood apart from those around him. Yet, he was humble to the core. He never wore nationalism on his sleeve. He was an aristocrat but never gave the impression of being one. Not for him the usual manipulation, intrigue, favouritism and parochialism which still mark every segment of our public and professional lives. Under him, the cricket team became one of the first national institutions to run on merit, and merit alone. Given the ground realities, it was also a battle Tiger could not always win. This sense of rising as one for the nation entailed imbibing some other qualities. Tiger hated over-the-top celebrations. A groundbreaking knock, which would leave everyone else breathless, would be followed by a mere nod. He wanted us to treat success like it was a part of life, not a rare occasion which needs to be marked by wild revelry. He would also, as captain, be willing to risk defeat while chasing victory, again a very un-Indian trait in those times when a draw was like a win for us. Tiger had his ways of making sure everyone understood which page he was on. He had a very balanced head. He would never panic, scream or shout. Everyone who crossed the threshold into the dressing room would be accorded enormous, overwhelming respect. When I made my debut under him in Kolkata in 1966, I was not even in the XV! Yet he made sure I would play, but he expected me to play the part even though I had never even watched a Test match before playing in one!

                                                                                                               
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