Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ravi Shastri sends a message to India | Cricket News
Coming into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the back of a whitewash New Zealand at home, Ravi Shastri feels the only way India can match Australia Down Under this time is if they bring out their A game immediately. Shastri, who coached India to successive Test series wins in 2018 and 2021 has also acknowledged it is going to be a tough challenge for India.
Speaking on Fox Cricket on Tuesday, Shastri led out what it takes to win a series in Australia.
“It’s going to be tough,” Shastri said. “As I found out on my three tours here as a coach, you have to be at your best. Your A game has to come to the park very early if you want to catch Australia on the wrong foot.
“You don’t want to give an inch. I think that is the only way. There is no other way you can play. You’ve got to, or you’re not going to get an inch.
Former India coach, ex-allrounder and current commentator Ravi Shastri will be bestowed with the lifetime-achievement award the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) in Hyderabad on Tuesday
“You have got to understand very early what to expect from the media as well, because they’ll be behind the Australian team. But if you can get your boys to get out there and play as hard as it gets be ready for some tough cricket and perform, the media will respect you,” Shastri added.
With skipper Rohit Sharma missing the first Test, Shastri backed the young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to come out of the tour as a superior batsman the end of it. “I think he’ll be a better player when he leaves Australian shores. Already he’s world class. You saw what he did against England (and) just the freedom with which he plays. He’s come up the hard way, so you can see that hunger and passion, not just in his eyes, but when he’s out there in the middle, fielding in the slips.
“He wants to be involved in the game. I think once he adapts to these conditions – it’s not going to be easy to adjust in Perth with that bounce, no matter how talented you are. You have got to be prepared to do the hard yards. But if he can see that phase through, I think he’ll entertain. He will love these pitches. He’s someone who score pretty freely as well,” Shastri added.
