Former India head coach Ravi Shastri gave up the Team India job just after T20 World Cup 2021 where his team ended up getting knocked out of the tournament in the group stage itself. Kohli’s side was the main contenders, but played poorly right from day one where they were beaten by ten wickets by their arch-rivals Pakistan. Although, it was not all doom and gloom for the former India cricketer who played a key role in helping India series in Australia and England.
After he vacated the position, Rahul Dravid was named his successor. Speaking on SKY Sports, for whom he will now commentate the full English summer, he said that Dravid came out through the system and is probably more deserving than himself. He said that he was a commentator and got the job through accident.
“No better person to take over after me than Rahul. I got that job (of head coach) by mistake which I told Rahul. I was in the commentary box; I was asked to go there and I did my bit. But Rahul is a guy who has come through the system, he has done the hard yards. He has been the coach of the U-19 team and he has taken over this Indian team and I think he will enjoy it once the team starts responding to what he says,” said Shastri in a conversation with Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton on Sky Sports.
Under Shastri’s reign, India stepped up its overseas record in Test cricket, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy twice in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21 apart from leading 2-1 in the series against England, taking the side to new highs in Test cricket, holding the top spot in the rankings as well.
“I think it was very rewarding, it can be a thankless job because you are judged everyday of your life by 1.4 billion (people) only. There is no hiding away from it, there is nothing to hide behind. You face the bullet, performances matter day in and day out. You got to win.”
“The expectations are big, but the way the boys responded, when I look back at my tenure, those seven years when I was there, I am proud that I had a team that responded in the fashion they did. When I did take over, they were not playing the best of cricket as those rankings will show but towards the end of it, they were right up there in all formats of the game,” beamed Shastri.
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