Chappell, whose two year stint from 2005 to 2007 was marred by several controversies including the infamous public spat with the then skipper Sourav Ganguly, recalls how Dhoni rose in stature in the side.
Writing in his autobiography 'Fierce Focus', Chappell said such was hierarchy in the team that youngsters were petrified of speaking before a senior such as Sachin Tendulkar in the team meetings.
"The real ray of hope for Indian team was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the most impressive young cricketers I'd ever worked with. He was smart, and able to read the game as perceptively as the best leaders," Chappell wrote.
"if I wanted to know what was going on in the middle, Dhoni became my go to man. He would eventually breakdown one of the biggest problems in the India teams," he added, referring to the young players' reluctance to express themselves.
"...the youngster would say, 'I can't speak before so-and-so. If I speak up before a senior player, they will hold it against me forever.' Some were petrified, flat out refusing to say a word in a meeting before, say, Tendulkar had spoken. It was so hierarchical, it made Australian teams look like commune," he wrote.
Chappell said he began to separate team meetings into three groups -- senior, intermediate and junior -- so that he could hear their thoughts, which were later broken down by Dhoni as he gained in confidence and asserted his leadership.
Dhoni made his Test debut after Chappell took over as coach.
Recalling his tumultuous sting with India, Chappell said at times he had to deal with mood swings, fluctuating commitment to fitness and senior players' unwillingness to get out and mix with the local culture and enjoy tours.
Courtesy ICC
