All the while, one man, remarkably, has stayed in the background. In this team of superstars, Gary Kirsten has managed to stay understated. He has practically shunned the spotlight, maintaining a composed silence amidst the chaos Indian cricket lives in, always pushing the team ahead rather than leading from the front.

The reading from inside the camp is that he doesn’t try to be flamboyant like Greg Chappell, and he’s more assertive than John Wright. One year after his appointment, Kirsten seems to have cracked the code required to be a good Team India coach.

The players say he is more like a good friend, stepping up when required and then quietly withdrawing into the shadows to allow the cricketers their time under the spotlight. While Chappell loved to call the shots and remain the man of the moment during net sessions, Kirsten makes a point to slink into oblivion.

Virender Sehwag lavishes praise on Kirsten, and calls him the team’s finest coach ever. “He’s the best thing to happen to Indian cricket — he’s even better than John (Wright),” Sehwag told The Indian Express on Wednesday. “On a scale of 1-10, I would give Gary a perfect 10. He allows a player space for himself, and he’s very good with man-management. That’s an area where John lacked,” he said.

His innovations seem utility based as well. On Wednesday, he was at the nets with a tennis racquet in hand, serving at the batsmen, preparing them for Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff’s sharp, short deliveries. One of his other famous practice tools also involves a tennis ball — the cloth covering over half its surface removed, making it swerve oddly to prepare batsmen for exaggerated swing and movement off the wicket.

Sehwag says his own resurgence is a good case study to measure Kirsten’s coaching. “He allows you to play your natural game. He’ll sit with you and talk things out. He will tell you not to worry too much. He says, ‘I will back you no matter what, whether you score a zero or 100, because I know you are a good player’. Gary understands each player and we can confide in him,” Sehwag said.

Paceman Ishant Sharma cited an example to explain Kirsten’s method. “During a game against Australia, I had bowled a lot of no-balls and got smashed around. I was really nervous. He simply came up to me and told me to forget what had happened in the match. Take the ball and think of the next game. You are our best bowler and nothing has changed. I felt great. In the next game, I had a great spell. He backs players when they are down,” Ishant said.

Within a team making noises worldwide, the silent teacher gets recognition only from his wards, and that’s all he wants.