19 November,2024 09:25 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ravi Shastri. Pic/AFP
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri urged the Indian side to put their 0-3 loss against New Zealand behind them and focus on the upcoming task.
Rohit Sharma and Co. suffered a humiliating 0-3 loss against New Zealand. With this, they registered their first-ever Test series loss at home in 12 years.
The series loss has also affected their rankings on the World Test Championship (WTC) table.
Despite their unwanted record, Ravi Shastri remained optimistic about India's chances of making it to the WTC final at Lord's.
"India will be smarting from that defeat in the series against New Zealand because they were caught unawares. They were a little complacent and paid the price for it. That said, this Indian team is a very proud one," Shastri told host Sanjana Ganesan during the latest episode of 'The ICC Review'.
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Team India is supposed to win four out of their five Test matches against Australia in order to reach the WTC final. The first match between India and Australia will begin on November 22 in Perth.
Historically, India has excelled when making early statements in away tours. This was evident during their 2018/19 tour of Australia, where they won the opening Test for the first time, defeating Australia by 31 runs in Adelaide, thanks to Cheteshwar Pujara's stellar century.
Ravi Shastri emphasised the importance of starting the Australia tour on a positive note to regain momentum.
"They would be hurting, and they'll want to get back on track as soon as possible. The best way to bounce back from such a series is to start another one strongly. So, the first two Tests become extremely crucial," he said.
The 62-year-old also urged the team management to focus on the positives and draw inspiration from their successful tours Down Under.
In 2018, under Virat Kohli's leadership, India secured their first-ever Test series win in Australia. They repeated the feat in 2021, despite missing several first-choice players in a thrilling series.
"The key will be to ensure they start well and keep the players in a good frame of mind. That will be the coach's most important task," Shastri added.
He also pointed out that India's batters could play a crucial role in giving the team an early advantage.
"Confidence is key. They must focus on the positives, think about what they achieved in Australia last time, and build on that. Put the New Zealand loss behind them. These are different conditions, and some Australian tracks are the best to bat on once you settle in. It'll be a totally different scenario when they get out there," Shastri concluded.
(With ANI Inputs)
