Three Hindi phrases

The Herald’s Andrew Alderson, on the skills new New Zealand coach John Wright brought to the table during his five years as coach of India:

In his time with India, he claimed to have learned three phrases of Hindi – chalo (let’s go), jaldi (quickly) and A.C. bund (air conditioning off). Yet Hindi was the main dialect in the dressing room.

So during the Australian series of 2001 when India followed on 274 runs behind in the second test, he sent manager and former Indian opener Chetan Chauhan to patiently explain to Rahul Dravid in the mother tongue that he was being switched with VVS Laxman from three to six in the order. Dravid took the news well and the results were stunning. Laxman made 281, Dravid 180 and India became just the third test team in history to win following-on. They won the series and Wright’s employment was secure.

– NZ Herald, 2 January 2011