“I am not doing a job there to please someone” - Ravi Shastri reflects on coaching stint
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has stated that he did not try to 'please' anybody during his stint with the team. Shastri said that his sole focus as head coach was to pick the best team for a particular condition irrespective of what the critics or experts felt.
59-year-old Shastri’s tenure as India coach came to a disappointing end following the side’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Reflecting on his time with the Indian team, Shastri told Star Sports during a chat show that he knew his job and tried to do it to the best of his ability, shutting down all the outside noise. The former India all-rounder stated:
“You can’t please everybody in this job. I am not doing a job there to please someone or look good in the media. Sorry, I am there to ensure that India picks the best team for the conditions.”
"I wasn't there to please anyone" - @RaviShastriOfc
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Shastri added that the entire team made a conscious effort to pull up their socks during his term, knowing the amount of cricket they would be playing away from home.
He picked the Cape Town Test in 2018 as a turning point in India’s fortunes. Shastri elaborated:
“The first day I walked into the bus, it was like business as usual. That’s when I decided to take a look at the itinerary for the next 3-4 years. I saw we are hardly playing any cricket in India. Everything is overseas. I said we could be a punching bag here if we do not address certain things ASAP.”
He added:
“I think the change came in Cape Town in the first Test against South Africa. It was Jasprit (Bumrah’s) first Test and he would be unleashed in the first Test itself.”
Although India did not win an ICC event under Shastri as coach, they defeated Australia Down Under in consecutive Test series’. They also led 2-1 in England during their tour earlier in the year when the last Test was canceled.
Ravi Shastri sheds light on decision to drop Rahane in South Africa in 2018
"I thought if I can't get the best out of Rohit then I'm a failure as a coach" - @RaviShastriOfc
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One of the most debatable decisions taken during Shastri’s tenure was the move to drop then vice-captain Rahane from the playing XI for the first two Tests in South Africa.
Asked about it, Shastri explained:
“If Ajinkya Rahane had played that game, they would have said, why didn’t Rohit Sharma play. If Rohit played, they’d say why didn’t Ajinkya play. It’s constant, so if you want to get in, get into those first five.”
Rahane returned for the final Test of the series and contributed a crucial second-innings 48 in India’s 63-run triumph in Johannesburg.