Should Ravi Shastri bow out as India coach?
It might be destiny that has pitted these two gentlemen against each other once again, albeit only in a well-circulated meme. People have been seen demanding that India coach Ravi Shastri return to his commentary duties and Sourav Ganguly take over the reins to steer India back to winning ways in big ICC tournaments.
India haven't tasted success in a global tournament since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy but have come agonizingly close on several occasions, reaching finals and semifinals of all three major trophies - the World T20, the Champions Trophy and the World Cup. Despite being a dominant force in world cricket in recent years under the stewardship of captain Virat Kohli and coach Shastri, the team has failed to complete the task apart from a few Asia Cup triumphs.
They have fallen short in pressure situations in tough knockout games despite entering most of these tournaments as favorites.
While it is unlikely that Ganguly is being seriously considered for the coach's position because he has numerous other commitments and has never shown any intent to take up the hot seat, a case can still be built against the incumbent coach despite the many achievements of the team during his tenure.
The case against Shastri
To be fair to both Kohli and Shastri, India's failures in ICC knockout games began before they took charge of the team. India lost in the World T20 final in 2014 and the World Cup semifinal in 2015, and the duo seem to have continued the trend.
India faltered in the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the World Cup 2019 semifinal, both losses that sting because the Men in Blue were the overwhelming favorites in these encounters and front-runners to win the titles.
It is to be mentioned that Shastri's appointment was also not bereft of controversy as he was first rejected for the post in favor of Anil Kumble by a committee headed by Ganguly and later given the job in 2017, post Kumble's departure. There was a public showdown between the two men as well after the first rejection.
It is also pertinent to mention that Shastri was handpicked for the role by captain Kohli, who shares good camaraderie with the former India skipper. Under the duo, India have had a great run in Tests, both at home and overseas, where they have won a Test series in Australia for the first time. The team has also earned considerable success in bilateral ODIs; their only Achilles' heel has been the big multi-nation tournaments.
With Shastri better known for his man-management skills rather than strategy, it is especially concerning that a team of such skilled players has failed to exhibit mental toughness at the most crucial junctures.
Questions were raised about sending in Dinesh Karthik before Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the fateful WC semi-final with India in dire straits. In the end, though Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja did a good recovery job, they failed to scale the mountain that faced them. It was argued by his detractors that Shastri's strategic nous failed at the most vital moment in India's WC journey.
Also, India tried and rejected several batsmen such as Manish Pandey and Ambati Rayudu for the contentious No. 4 spot and in the end the middle-order was India's weakest link in the World Cup. Thus, questions need to be raised about grooming and selection as well, where the coach is especially culpable.
There is also an air of perceived arrogance among the very able young team that has caught the attention of critics, and only adds to the case against the dynamic coach.
Another big tournament awaits India in 2020 - the ICC World T20 in Australia. It is up to the powers that be to decide whether a change at the top will be beneficial to the team just a year before the tournament.
Shastri and Kohli have seen both lows and highs - from the Test series loss in England to the fantastic win in Australia, from being the No. 1 team in the world in ODIs to the soul-crushing defeat to New Zealand. Whatever the management decides, failure in the 2020 tourney will surely be the last straw in the coach's tenure.
The fans are getting hungry for success at the biggest stage and India does have the team to succeed there. The question is: is Shastri the man who can take them to it?