"The boys were like zombies" - Ravi Shastri attributes Chennai loss to fatigue
Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has attributed his side's defeat in the first Test against England to physical and mental fatigue after the debilitating tour of Australia. Comparing the tired Indian players to 'zombies', Shastri said some more days between the two series might have changed the result of the match.
After the high of the historic 2-1 series win Down Under, the 227-run thumping at the hands of Joe Root's boys in Chennai came as a wake-up call for Team India. They came back stronger than ever, winning three matches on the trot to claim the series 3-1.
In the post-series presentation, Ravi Shastri admitted to the team being outplayed in the match. But he stated that fatigue and the absence of crowds played major roles in the "flat" performance.
"The first Test in Chennai would have been different with a bit more rest. There's no excuse, England outplayed us. But the boys were like zombies, they were tired and there was no crowd to cheer them on. Everything was flat and so was the performance. But then a kick on the backside to reignite pride in the system can make a lot of difference and it showed in the last three Tests," said Ravi Shastri.
With the series win, India have booked a spot in the much-anticipated World Test Championship final to be played in Lord's later this year.
"Who will complain about tracks like these?" - Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri also took a dig at the pitch criticism that has been raging in the media since India's comeback in the 2nd Test.
Some England-based experts lambasted the spin-favoring pitches in Chennai and Ahmedabad as "sandpits" and "beaches". However, England's batting also failed miserably on the 4th Test track, which largely allowed a fair contest between bat and ball.
Ravi Shastri threw his weight behind the fairness of the pitch for the 4th Test before complimenting the Motera groundsmen for doing a 'fantastic job'.
"Who will complain about tracks like these? The groundsmen have done a fantastic job. The scoreline of 3-1 doesn't reflect how close the series was. It's like our series in England we lost 1-4. England had their moments and if they grabbed those we could have had a different result," said Shastri.
India and England will now lock horns in 5-match T20I series, which starts on March 12.