Former India head coach Ravi Shastri’s tenure saw the team pull off some great achievements like back-to-back series wins in Australia and the fantastic tour of England. However, one of the lower points was the early exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Shastri, a former India cricketer, had been appointed to the post in 2017 after Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble fall out led to the latter walking away from the job.
Looking back at his tenure, his second stint with the team, Shastri said there were plenty of memories that he would hold on to. This was his third stint with the Indian team after having stepped up in 2007 initially.
Captaincy Debate
Shastri spoke about the hotly debated split captaincy matter in Indian cricket, backing the new white-ball Rohit Sharma to the hilt.
“Rohit is not overawed; he always does what is best for the team. He marshals all the resources of the team unlike, let’s say, in football,” Shastri was quoted as saying by The Week.
And when asked about the kind of leader Virat was, the former coach said the master batter was efficient and tactically sound.
"At the end of the day, he has been a tactically sound captain. Efficient. People will always judge you by results, or not by how you got the runs, but how many runs you scored. He has evolved well; he has matured as a player. It is not easy being captain of the Indian team. He should feel proud of what he has achieved," he said.
Pace Bowling Battery
Among the highlights of Shastri’s tenure as head coach with the Indian team was how the team’s fast bowling attack came together and became one of the most feared in world cricket – a happenstance that’s rarely associated with Indian cricket.
The former coach said the inspiration came from the West Indies team of the 80s and added that pace bowling would be key to changing the outlook of the team.
“My mind was very clear, it was only going to be pace that’s going to bring us back and the guts to play 5 bowlers. That began changing everything for us. The kind of cricket we set out to play was automatically much than what any other team had played in a long time,” Shastri was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
“You could see the intensity on the field. You could see the home crowds overseas appreciating the way we approached our cricket.”
Picking Up the Pieces After Kumble’s Departure
When Shastri was handed over the reigns after Anil Kumble’s stint in 2017, the Indian team wasn’t in the best of health. Shastri, who had been Team Director before the Kumble, said that he had no idea about the rumblings inside the camp as he had gone back to doing broadcast.
He further added that he wasn’t very happy about how things panned out when the job was given to Kumble instead of him, saying that things could have been handled better.
"Yes, more than anything, it hurt because of the manner in which it was done. For all that I had contributed, just on one word from the BCCI, there were better ways to let me know 'Oh look we don't want you, we don't like you. We want somebody else' - if that was the case. Anyway, I went back to do what I do best - which is television. Around nine months passed, and I didn't even have a clue that there was anything wrong inside the team. I mean, what could've been wrong? I was told there was a real problem and I said - how can there be a problem in nine months? The team that I had left was in such a good space. How the hell in nine months could something go that drastically wrong," he was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
The former coach also added that there were sections that did not want him to take over the reigns again after the Kumble debacle.
"During my second stint, I came after a huge controversy. And it was literally egg on the faces of those who wanted me away. They opted for someone and nine months later, they came back to the very guy they threw out. And I'm not pointing any fingers at people (BCCI) in general. Specific people. I must say an attempt was made to ensure I don't get the job. But such is life," he explained.
ICC Tournaments
With Shastri in the dugout the Indian team exited in the 2019 ODI World Cup in the semi-final and then lost the World Test Championship final against New Zealand before the 2021 T20 World Cup exit in the first round.
Speaking on the matter, Shastri said that there was disappointment at not having any of the three titles, while also adding that the team wasn’t among the best in the 2021 tournament.
“We went through quarantine. New Zealand were better prepared. They had just won the series against England in England. Conditions suited them like home. But we should’ve at least drawn it, especially after beginning at 60 for no loss. That loss disappointed me no end. Our other best chance was in 2019. But 2019 hurts equally bad. The start we had, then the game being carried on to the next day.”
But barring these two blips, it's been one heck of a ride. If you’d told me in 2014 this is where we’d be I’d be in 2021 – you might not win a World Cup, but these are among the other things you’ll achieve – I’d say ‘give it to me anytime’.
(With Inputs from Times of India and The Week)
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