John Wright with the expensive crystal he received as a farewell gift from the BCCI at the Kotla on Sunday. (Reuters)

New Delhi: John Wright?s Team India assignment is over (at the very ground where it began in November 2000) and Sachin Tendulkar will be among those to miss him. The other day, in a chat with The Telegraph, the senior-most pro spoke exclusively about our first cricket coach from overseas.

Specifically, Sachin said: ?John did a marvellous job and changed the players? thought process... Changed the way we approached a game... He taught us to accept the hard phases in our career as a challenge and to work towards overcoming the odds...

?Actually, John had a nice blend of everything and while he called for a hundred per cent focus during a game, he would be a different person after the day?s play... One could take the liberty of playing pranks and he took it sportingly...

?In fact, if he got something wrong, he acknowledged that and took the ?blame? on himself... Generally, I think John got the timing right in everything he did... He wasn?t just a wonderful coach, but a lovely human being...

?What stood out is that John adapted to the Indian culture and environment... He had his finger on the pulse of India and communicating with him wasn?t a problem for anybody... I wouldn?t go into specifics, but there definitely were occasions when the two of us discussed my batting...

?Personally, interacting with John was interesting as he came from an earlier generation... We?re going to miss him, but we realise he has family commitments and must honour them... I?m sure he will be keeping track of how we fare...?

Meanwhile, stand-in captain Rahul Dravid, who was also coached by Wright at Kent, saluted him thus:

?John brought about professionalism... Planning... Discipline... A team ethic and team culture... He made us look beyond the individual... His contribution is always going to be counted as significant...?

Footnote: Wright, who was given an ovation both before and after his last Media conference as Team India coach, remarked ending with a defeat was ?tough? to handle. However, smiling, he added: ?Life, though, hasn?t been dull in the past four-and-half years.? Asked if, even from a distance, he would follow India?s fortunes, Wright promptly replied: ?I?ll be tracking like a hawk!? Nobody disbelieves him.