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Sports

Only the fit will survive: Ravi Shastri

cricbuzz.com

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K Shriniwas Rao

Given all the drama that surrounded the selection of the coach before they left for the tour of Sri Lanka late in July, a 3-0 series sweep like this one, wrapped up in just under eleven days, has once again brought the smiles back in the Indian camp. Ravi Shastri, back in a very familiar setting that he had helped put in place during his previous stint, is understandably elated. In an exclusive chat with TOI, Shastri talks about the road map ahead, his chemistry with the cricketers and his role going forward. Excerpts…

This was a first: A series sweep away from home. It should instil a good deal of aggression and positivity.

When was the last time that Sri Lanka were beaten like this at home? I’d like to wait and see how some other teams will cope against this same Sri Lankan team in the near future. But then, this is not about Sri Lanka, this is about the Indian team and the manner in which they’ve stamped their authority here. India’s lowest score in this series (487) was still a 100-odd runs more than the best that Sri Lanka could manage throughout the three Tests. So, that should sum-up the total dominance, with the bat and ball.

What are the takeaways for the team after a performance like this?

Even if this team ends up losing a game, as long as they can walk out of the field with their heads held high, knowing that they gave their best, there’s no problem whatsoever. A disciplined approach is what counts. For instance, look at this series. Barring the two no-balls in the second Test from Hardik [Pandya] and one in the third game from [Mohammad] Shami, we’ve not faltered. How many catches did we drop throughout this series? Two? Going forward, that is what we need to avoid. It’s the effort that counts and in that, if we have to look at the bigger picture, we’re taking away more than what the scorecard will convey.

The bowling unit has been coming together splendidly…

Bharath Arun has known these youngsters for such a long time now. Look at Kuldeep [Yadav], for instance. He’s been tracking Kuldeep’s growth from the Under-16 days. It’s the same with some of the others he’s worked with for a while now. So, in that sense, there’s a sense of familiarity that’s also helping. We’ve always seen Kuldeep as a guy with great potential but let’s not go on harping about it. One step at a time. Not just the Test team, even [in] the ODIs, now that we have the likes of Jasprit [Bumrah] and Axar [Patel] coming in, they’ve all worked with Arun and I am keen to see things moving forward from here.

Hardik made a huge impression in the series…

Hardik may still be new to Test cricket but he’s showing what a quick learner he is. As Virat [Kohli] said, he’s been the biggest positive of this series. He was working on the cutters for the first time on the morning of the day’s play with Arun and he didn’t flinch once in going out and testing it the same day. That kind of confidence is what you need at this level.

He can add good balance to the attack if you only have to go in with two pacers…

Of course. But look at Shami and Yadav. They have been relentless. Look at the kind of surfaces that were on offer and these two continuously kept clocking between 141 and 145 kmph. To watch them in action on Day 2 of the game was very satisfying, knowing that these tracks hardly gave them any assistance.

And the fielding too… you’ve been quite focused on that front…

Oh yes. That’s what I also talked about in my interview. When the time comes for India to field a side for the 2019 50-over World Cup, we should have the best fielding eleven in the world. The fittest of the lot and that’s right up there in the list of priorities.

You really don’t mind showering praise on individuals when you have to…

A few good words don’t just make your day but they also give you the sense of belonging and confidence to take the next big step forward. A lot is spoken about coaching an international team. This team loves the pressure they face and the players see it as a challenge. Cynicism and negativity can kill all the joy. I’m not that kind of a guy. I look at the glass as being half-full.

And when there’s enough trust and confidence in a healthy working relationship, things begin to look so much better from the outside.

Well, the trust is there. I can’t speak for the time when I wasn’t around, but what I can say with a sense of absolute belief is that nothing has changed between how things were during my last stint and now.

What is it about you and this Indian team that they have absolute faith in you?

Well, that is for the players to answer. I have a job to do and in my close to 35-year career as a cricketer and a commentator and the other roles that I’ve handled, I’ve always tried to give my best. All I can say is that the sense of trust comes from the players knowing that they have someone around who they can walk up to and discuss anything they want. If I really want to make lives difficult in order to get 100% commitment from the other guy, I can very well do that and everybody in this set-up knows what I’m talking about. Yet, at the same time, I don’t believe in unnecessary interference. Everybody in this set-up has a responsibility carved out and come what may , that responsibility needs to be carried out to the best of the ability. My job is to ensure this is happening on a daily basis and outside of this, anything that needs to be done in the interest of the team.

A word on Wriddhiman Saha….

Saha has been excellent, be it his wicketkeeping, batting or catching. He had always been an unwavering guy in domestic cricket for years and that hard work is showing. He’s grown so much in confidence and remember, he’s walking into MS’ [Dhoni] shoes. He’s done phenomenally well to grow out of that shadow. The kind of ‘keeping he came up with in this series – on the kind of surfaces that were on offer – makes him the No. 1 wicketkeeper in the world right now.

Batting seems to be the last of your worries…

To be honest, with a batting unit like this one, the last thing you’d do is lose sleep. The core is such a good one and I’m glad the way Shikhar [Dhawan] is timing the ball. He’s got two big hundreds that have put him in the frame of mind that he loves to be in.

Cheteshwar [Pujara] has been batting like a dream and he’s in a zone where he has set his targets going forward. And as if all of this wasn’t enough, you saw a knock of a different kind here the other day. Hardik’s century simply changed the course of an entire Test in less than an hour. We were thinking of going forward by 60 to 80 runs when the tail was batting and look where we ended. Five batsmen got a hundred in this series and close to 10 cricketers got 50-plus scores, which is a first in Test cricket for any team.

You keep insisting ‘this is Virat’s team’ and you’re just an extension. Can you elaborate?

I’ve always maintained this, not just now but even in my earlier stint that this is Virat’s team. Prior to when he took over as captain, it was MS Dhoni’s bunch and he nurtured some of the boys who’ve prospered today. The captain is the leader of the pack and the coach is an extension of that role, in the sense that it’s the coach’s responsibility to ensure that everything is in order for the team and its skipper to go and give their best. These are the principles I followed in my previous stint too. Irrespective of how much I or anyone else may contribute, eventually it is the captain who walks out with the eleven when it matters. Too much importance is given to other things, which is unnecessary. What matters is whether there’s confidence and trust between all the individuals and that is my responsibility, to ensure there’s enough of it.

There are some big Test series coming up next year, followed by the World Cup in 2019. Has the team sorted its priorities?

The World Cup has its own space that needs to be respected. And while that remains the goal, we must realise that if India need to show their might in the game, achieving results in Test cricket is the pinnacle. Now, these are two different sets of goals altogether. Both need to be pursued with equal amount of zeal and yet, both require a completely different level of preparation. Look at countries like England and Australia and how they perceive the game. Playing top-notch Test cricket and excelling in it is what they want to do. World Cups keep coming every four years and of course, we all understand its importance from a global and fan perspective. But if this team really has to be tested, then it’s Test cricket and we have plenty of it coming up next year.

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