Shastri was head coach of the Indian team for a brief tenure.
Since the assumption of Gautam Gambhir in the role of India’s head coach, a lot has happened. The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announcing their retirement from the format has been the biggest highlight off the field. But when we take a look at the team’s Test performances on the field, the numbers do not look very promising either. The team is going through a transition under young captain Shubman Gill. Their recent heroics in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy are surely worth applauding. From India’s former head coach Ravi Shastri to Sachin Tendulkar – everyone heaped praises for the team’s achievements at The Oval.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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SVL
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ROR
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BVB
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TBW
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SIN-W
148/7
CAM-W
34/10
Singapore Womens beat Cambodia Women by 114 runs
SIN-W
29/2
CAM-W
28/6
Singapore Womens won by 8 wickets
SKA
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ABF
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SKA
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GAW
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ODW
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SDS
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NOR
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HUN
–
NOR
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SWE
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SWE
–
HUN
–
HUN
–
NOR
–
SWE
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NOR
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SOS
103/2
ZGW
102/5
Sir Oliver Split beat Zagreb Warriors by 8 wickets
ZAS
106/8
ZGA
109/0
Zagreb Assassins beat Zagreb Sokol by 10 wickets
SOS
97/6
RJM
113/7
Rijeka Markhors beat Sir Oliver Split by 16 runs
ZGA
145/1
ZAS
141/7
Zagreb Assassins beat Zagreb Sokol by 9 wickets
ZGA
99/8
SOS
80/2
TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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TBC
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YOR
247/10
SOM
239/4
DURH
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NOR
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BB
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MID
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ESS
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SURR
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DER
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WOR
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HAM
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LEI
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SUSS
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LAN
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GLO
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GLAM
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CEC-A
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KGC
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KRMPS
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BCC
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TCC
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KGC
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BNC
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NCMI
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JJ
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CEC-A
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MYW
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MGD
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Match abandoned due to wet outfield (with toss)
GBM
112/10
BNB
87/5
SML
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BNB
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HBT
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MGD
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ROS
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MAT
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MUT
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RNC
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YSG
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IAI
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SLGR
46/1
SLGY
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Match Abandoned due to rain
LOS
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TRR
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NOS
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BIP
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LSW-W
116/10
TRW-W
149/6
Trent Rockets Women beat London Spirit Women by 33 runs
NOS-W
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BIP-W
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PS
227/4
BANA
148/10
Pakistan Shaheens beat Bangladesh A by 79 runs
ACOM
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HHA
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MS-A
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MR-A
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CHK
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PSA
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NTS
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NEP
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Having said that, there have been a lot of questions lingering around the decision-making of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach. India’s performances in his tenure till now have been on and off, and his team selection is known to be too defensive. More than 50% of the Test matches played in Gambhir’s tenure till now have ended up on the wrong side, which will slowly start to raise concerns. In the midst of all the chaos, former head coach Ravi Shastri has broken the ice about his thoughts of being at the helm of Indian cricket again.
The 63-year-old was the head coach for a period of four years, before which he also served as the team’s director for two years. Shastri propelled India towards multiple glorifying moments along with then captain Virat Kohli. One of the most famous things the duo did was to build a bowling attack which could take the pitch out of consideration. Shastri spoke about the role, and also stated how big a responsibility it is to be at the helm. Shastri won two series on Australian soil in his tenure, and was also leading the series 2-1 in England when the fifth match was postponed due to COVID-19.
“I did it for 7 years, my friend; it takes its toll. So I need a breather. It’s 250 plus days a year, just the travel and the amount of hours that go into the nets, and things of that sort, it takes a toll”, Shastri said in an interview for Sky Sports Cricket.
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The former Indian head coach had no second thoughts when asked about the quality of Test skipper Shubman Gill. Gill scored 754 runs in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He ended with just 20 runs short of the record which Sunil Gavaskar holds. Gill’s 269 and 161 in the second Test at Edgbaston spoke volumes of the talent and temperament he possesses. The Indian skipper also ended up with the most runs in the five-match Test series.
Shastri expressed his views on the future of Gill, and was all praises for the 25-year-old. He said that the youngster will lead the team for a long time ahead and is here to stay. Shastri also went on to speak about Gill’s batting technique and referred to it as very fluent. Right from his U19 days, one could see a lot of promise in the way Gill went about his game. His century against Pakistan U19 in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup is where he announced himself.
As a captain, the series was a big one for Gill. The responsibility of leading the team, and not letting the same creep into one’s batting is extremely difficult. And Shastri thinks he aced the battle in England. The way he held himself in pressure situations was a treat to watch. Though he will get better with time, there is a lot of promise. One advantage India will have is that Gill has age on his side. On his very first overseas tour where conditions are quite brutal, he helped India level the five-match series.
“He [Shubman Gill] will be there for a long long time. You saw the kind of series he had here in England; he’s only going to get better. He’s right up there, very regal, and has that look in him. He is very easy on the eyes and very fluent”, said Shastri in the interview.
