Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that things have changed now as he considers COVID-19 as flu. Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 and didn’t accompany the Rohit Sharma-led team that left for Dubai to compete in the Asia Cup, starting August 27. The Men in Blue will start their campaign against arch-rival Pakistan on August 28.
However, Shastri feels that India should not panic about Dravid getting COVID positive and said that the current head coach will be back on the park in 3-4 days.
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“I don’t think it will make that much of a difference. Today, don’t call it Covid-19, it’s just flu. In 3-4 days, it will be fine. He will be back on the park,” Ravi Shastri told Star Sports in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.
The 60-year-old further talked about the time when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 positive during the England tour last year. There were several positive cases in the Indian camp on the tour as the fourth Test match was postponed to 2022.
Shastri said that he would have recovered in 6 days and if he was there in the dressing India would have won the Test match in Manchester to clinch the series 3-1.
“Even I could have when I had Covid-19 last year, I could have gone into the dressing room in 6 days. I promise you, if I had gone into the dressing room in 6-7 days and we would have played that Test match and won it at Old Trafford,” he added.
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However, the postponed Test was played this year where India suffered defeat at Edgbaston to draw the series 2-2.
Shastri said that Dravid will return in time for the big-ticket clash between India and Pakistan after taking a few paracetamols.
“This Covid, Covid, you don’t talk about Covid now. It’s just flu. Take a couple of paracetamols and he would be back in time for India vs Pakistan,” he added.
While majority of the members of the team left from Mumbai on Tuesday morning, vice-captain KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and reserve player Axar Patel will travel from Harare, having finished their Zimbabwe assignment.
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