Team India bus driver's heartwarming tale about Suresh Raina will increase your respect for the southpaw.
Touring a foreign land for months on end can pose a difficult mental test. Cricketers have to face that often. One might wonder what's so arduous about travelling through world famous cities, but the truth is far from that. The pressure of performing on the field, coupled with the many, many days away from home can surely get the better of you.
Which is why it's important for an athlete to be in the right frame of mind to be able to compete. The Indian cricket team, on an extensive tour of England at the moment, are lucky to have a wonderful companion on their lengthy journey.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video on their official website on Saturday, in which they introduced us to Team India's bus driver for the England tour- Jeff Goodwin. This is no ordinary chauffeur, this man has been the bus driver for several international cricket teams over many years.
In the video posted by the BCCI, Jeff Goodwin speaks about how cricket teams over the years have become extremely professional in their conduct. He reveals how former Australian cricketer and national coach Darren Lehmann gave his the nickname Popeye, and how he went ahead and got a tattoo of the cartoon character on his forearm.
Goodwin also speaks about Indian cricketer. He reveals that the great Sachin Tendulkar always sat right in the front next to him, and that he will never forget how Suresh Raina once auctioned off his jersey to help his ailing wife. We get to know that Indian captain Virat Kohli sits in the front too and pulls Goodwin's leg, and that leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal calls him 'old man'. Goodwin also says he thinks Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a fantastic wicket-keeper.
Watch the video HERE
The video ends with Goodwin telling us how much he likes the Indian players and how disciplined they are. "I've noticed how the game has changed since my time. Earlier, the Australian team, for instance, would sit in their changing room after the game till 2 am, but now not as much. And this Indian team, I've never know a cricket team as professional who come out of the stadium immediately. That is really professional," he says.
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 "(L - R) Siddarth Kaul, Jeff Goodwin and Suresh Raina during Team India's ongoing tour of England")
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