"Ravi Shastri has been outstanding" - Bharat Arun praises India head coach after historic win in Australia
Bharat Arun reserved special praise for Ravi Shastri after the latter masterminded India's 2-1 series win away to Australia. The Indian cricket team's bowling coach spoke about the head-coach's qualities and how he helped get the best out of everyone during a long and taxing Australia tour.
India stunned Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy, and Ravi Shastri's coaching played a big role in that historic win. Speaking at a press-conference on Friday, Bharat Arun said -
"As a head coach, Ravi Shastri has been outstanding. He gives you the freedom to work and anyone in the support staff would tell you that he gives you a lot of freedom and you can express yourself. He is fantastic. We have our arguments, showdowns. We totally disagree on things but at the end of the day, when we decide on something, we stick to it and make sure that we stick to the right thing."
Ravi Shastri made the decision to hold back net bowlers - Bharat Arun
Bharat Arun also revealed that the India net bowlers were due to depart from Australia after the ODI series, and it was Ravi Shastri who made the decision to keep them in the country. He added that Shastri felt that getting replacements in would be impossible if the main bowlers suffered any injuries over the course of the Test series.
"I think in the COVID times, it was a good move by Ravi Shastri to hold back all the net bowlers as well. After the ODI series, most of them were supposed to go back, but somehow we thought that in case anything happens to a player, it will be impossible for anyone to come because of restrictions. We said we will manage with everyone and since they were with us for long, it was possible for them to understand what was demanded of them to be successful in Australia."
That is exactly what happened, and the net bowlers proved to be very useful for India in helping them win the fourth Test. Ravi Shastri's decision also ensured that they weren't out of practice, as they had been training with the India team for months. And being in that rhythm allowed them to make an instant impact in the fourth Test.