India, Feb. 27 -- Just a day after India won the ODI World Cup in 2011, I interviewed Paddy Upton, the team's mental conditioning coach, and asked him who were the men for a crisis in the squad; the players who would raise their game in the face of adversity.

His answer stayed with me and now feels even more relevant because one of the names he mentioned is now the head coach of the Indian team.

"Gautam Gambhir seems to know how to give his absolute best when the stakes are highest," Upton had then said. "Whether it is batting all day in New Zealand, or with an injured arm in South Africa or the innings in the World Cup final, when the pressure is on, he will not back off. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is another one who seems to cruise when the...