It’s times like these that you miss Ravi Shastri, the coach. With the Indian Test team in shambles under Gautam Gambhir, the mind harks back to the years between 2014 and 2021, when under the Shastri-Virat Kohli duo, the Indian team achieved some remarkable things. Beating Australia in Australia twice, winning the Test mace five straight years in a row, finishing runners-up in the 2017 Champions Trophy, reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in a near spotless campaign, the memories are endless.
Ravi Shastri continues to enthral audience from behind the mic. (PTI)
Once Shastri stepped down after spending seven gruelling years on the road, he forayed back into broadcasting, a role he has comfortably slipped back into. However, ahead of the T20 World Cup, the former India all-rounder revealed how he managed to switch from one role to another without much fuss. Through his journey in cricket, Shastri has been at both ends of a coach’s advice, but once he was back on the mic, he ensured his personal feelings did not get in the way.
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“When I was a player, I would be criticised. And when it got personal, it would disappoint you. But over time, you learn to handle those situations. I prefer criticism that’s constructive. When I became a broadcaster, I said I’ve divorced the Indian dressing room, and I will speak on what I see. It doesn’t matter if you were my colleague or you were my friend when I was playing the game,” Shastri said at an event to mark the launch of a partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and the ICC.
“I will speak on what I see because I have to let the viewer know the truth. That is my opinion. As a coach, again, but that’s something you expect. In my tenure there, there were good moments and rough moments. But again. You’ve just got to take it in your stride because you know there’s another game coming up. One day you’re in pole position, next day in troll position.”
‘You deserve criticism; I do too’
Ravi Shastri’s coaching tenure is filled with instances of him using tough love to fire up a player, such as when he pulled up Mohammed Shami and asked whether his hunger is limited to Biryani or extends to the pitch as well. Or when he asked his players to wear the 36 all-out like a badge. When India won, Shastri took a back seat and let the players revel in the joy. When India lost, Shastri would be the first one to take the hit, but also ensure a message was communicated to the players.
“One thing which I did as a coach is that when things didn’t go well, I was clear to the team, ‘You deserve the criticism. I deserve it too.’ And then turn it around. And let your sport do the talking, rather than you taking off on someone unnecessarily,” he added.