"This is what a little complacency, a little bit of overconfidence can do" - Ravi Shastri on Team India's loss in 3rd IND vs AUS Test

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri tore into the hosts following their nine-wicket loss against Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

Composed knocks from Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head steered Australia home after an initial scare. Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Usman Khawaja off the second delivery of the day to instil hope in the Indian hearts, but it soon fizzled out, catalyzed by a ball change midway through the session.

Australia win the Third Test by 9 wickets.

#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 will aim to bounce back in the fourth and final #INDvAUS Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad 👍🏻👍🏻

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvAUS-2023-3… @mastercardindia https://t.co/M7acVTo7ch

A win in the third Test for India could have secured the series as well as a spot in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC). However, the route to the final is now a tricky one for the Men in Blue as they either need to win the final Test or rely on the result of the series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Accusing Team India of being 'overconfident' in the third Test, Ravi Shastri said during commentary on Day 3:

"This is what a little complacency, a little bit of overconfidence can do where you take things for granted, you drop guard and this game will bring you down."

India were bowled out for 109 in one-and-a-half sessions on Day 1 and could not put up much of a show in the second innings either. Barring Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a valiant half-century, none of the batters stepped up when it mattered. Some of the shot selection by the Indian batters were also criticized by fans and pundits alike.

Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden opined that the players are playing for the spots. He said:

"Change of team too. KL Rahul dropped. Some of those things can be a bit destabilising, players playing for their spots and their opportunities can create a different mindset. This can be said about Travis Head. He was left out of the first Test but came out with a fire in the belly from the second Test, something Australians are known for. Punching above our weight, in spite of the conditions."

The Men in Blue made two changes for the third Test in Indore. Shubman Gill came in place of the struggling KL Rahul while Umesh Yadav was brought in for Mohammed Shami, who was rested for the fixture.

"You reflect back, take a step back or two to analyse" - Ravi Shastri on how Team India should cope

This marks Team India's first Test defeat at home since their 227 run defeat against England in Chennai two years ago. The Men in Blue have a lot of questions to be answered in terms of approach, selection and responsibility ahead of the final Test in Ahmedabad.

Australia are IN!

They'll face either India or Sri Lanka in the WTC final in early June at the Oval, London #INDvAUS https://t.co/9iVmdhVWWF

Stating that Rohit Sharma and co. need to reflect on this loss to perform better, Shastri said:

"I think it was a combination of all these things when you actually cast your mind back to the first innings, see some of the shots played, see some of the over-eagerness to try and dominate in these conditions. You reflect back, take a step back or two to analyse."

The fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series will begin from March 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Were the hosts overconfident and complacent in the third Test against Australia? Let us know what you think.