Ravi Shastri’s appointment as India’s coach until the Twenty20 World Cup in 2021 is not an entirely surprising one.
Big guns such as Gary Kirsten and Mahela Jayawardene were rumoured to be interested in the post but did not apply. Key BCCI figures backed Shastri so the announcement was a mere formality.
India have won a lot of series home and away under Shastri’s tenure, attaining then maintaining the No.1 Test ranking in the world.
A first Test series win in Australia was followed by victorious ODI series in Australia and New Zealand. Even South Africa were beaten in their backyard by the margin of 5-1 in an ODI series.
But there were a few significant losses, as well – notably India’s loss at home to a weak Australian ODI team and losing in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. There were seven Test losses against across South Africa, England and Australia in 2018. After the 2013 Champions Trophy win, India haven’t won an ICC tournament.
Over the next two years, India have ten Test matches lined up against England home and away, plus four away Tests against Australia.
Shastri will want to win the T20 World Cup and the Test series in England, which have eluded him in the past.
Ravi Shastri will have to develop a talent pool that will carry the Indian team for the next decade or so. The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Khaleel Ahmed need backing. These players had an excellent start to their international careers, and having the confidence of team management in the tough patch will go a long way as they look to establish themselves in the side.
India can ill afford to lose a talent such as Prithvi Shaw. Shaw has been in the news for all wrong reasons because of suspension and injuries. Shastri’s challenge will be to ensure the re-integration of Shaw into the national team and keeping him away from distractions.
Shubman Gill isn’t far away from being rewarded for his consistent domestic success. How smoothly the transition from the domestic set-up to international cricket goes will be vital for Gill’s success.
In Test cricket, the form of Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin has been flaky for some time. Both are pillars of the Indian Test team and have been plagued by poor form or injury in the last year.
Shastri’s role will be to make both players feel wanted and not left out as deadwood. Both players are in their early 30s and can be a big part of future Indian victories in the next five years.
Ravi Shastri (right) and Virat Kohli are Team India’s brains trust. (Matt King/Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Under Ravi Shastri’s tutelage, India have won 25 out of 36 T20 internationals. But losses to Australia and New Zealand should make Indian team management rethink their strategy with two World Cups in sight, in Australia next year then on home soil in 2021.
India viewed T20 as an extension of ODI cricket, preparing for the 2019 World Cup but not beyond. A total revamp of the T20 squad could be in order.
Hardik Pandya’s workload will be a big concern. Back injuries have flared up time and again for Hardik. His hitting abilities in the death overs plus his capacity as a breakthrough bowler in the middle overs are both valuable assets for India.
How Shastri and co. decide to use Pandya will be vital, as he will be essential on the big grounds in Australia next T20 World Cup.
Navdeep Saini had a fantastic debut against the West Indies, winning man of the match on his bow, and his raw pace has excited Virat Kohli. He could make a transition into Test cricket just as Jasprit Bumrah did in 2018.
Add Mohammed Shami to the mix with both quicks, India’s bowling pool will be strong unlike before. The team management’s role will be charting out workload management for those quicks, given the hectic international schedule.
Krunal Pandya is getting better with each match that he plays for India and his performance against the West Indies is a testimony to it. Can he become a strike bowler in the spin department? That will be the next big step up for elder Pandya.
He has shown his batting abilities in IPL for last three seasons, as well as in the limited opportunities he’s had playing for India. Krunal is another three-dimensional cricketer that could make the Indian batting look long down the order.
With the challenges that lie ahead, Ravi Shastri has got to hit the ground running.
But should he succeed, he would go down as India’s most successful coach.
Paul
Roar Guru
Yep, I know it's early days in that Test, but 6 down when you're the top ranked team versus the 8th ranked team doesn't bode well. Are the same as we are - no Kohli, no runs?
Jeff
Roar Rookie
What did I tell you about India and playing o/s, Paul? Trouble already in WIN.
Saurebh Gandle
Roar Guru
CT final we played under Kumble as coach. Don't forget Kumble did tell Virat to bat first and Kohli wanting to go against coach bowled first. But before lashing out at Ravi, we should know why BCCI gave so much power to Virat despite poor results in 2018 test matches and semi-final exit. That's disgrace of system.We cannot move ahead with such set up.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
I wish Gary Kirsten would apply to coach his own country. SA really need him but that wont happen. Shastri has had a good run in limited overs and the Test series win over Australia cemented his position for some time to come even though in the cold light of day Aus without Smith looks pretty ordinary . I enjoyed Ravi Shastri as a player , I enjoy him as a person at least the bits I get to see on TV interviews etc. but will for now at least withold judgement of him as a coach.
Paul
Roar Guru
Ruchikka, I wouldn't be too worried about Indian cricket producing plenty of good players, but it's tough being the top dog for any length of time and takes an exceptional group of players to come together. When you have such a talented squad, they require little coaching, so Shastri should be working, as you suggest, with the next generation of players. He doesn't have to talent spot, but it would be useful for these guys to get a feel for what its like playing for the national side at top level. He and those who look after the national teams should be trying to get as many of these guys into sides as possible, exactly as Saurebh suggests. India plays enough cricket in all formats that this should be doable.
Saurebh Gandle
Roar Guru
Well he has a chance but can he , remains a big question mark. More than England now 2-3 years from India will face tough competition from Sri Lanka. Shreyas Iyer inclusion was much needed and glad he grabbed it with both hands. India can look beyond MSD .But can VK or Rohit win India WC 2023,no chance.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
I am afraid what you are saying is very much on point Paul sir. Except that one series against Australia minus two of their best players, We have nothing to show. People may hate to admit it,but our team has been dependent of singular spectacular performances for the achievements we have gotten in recent past and very luckily, those singular performances were on consistent basis which masked the weaknesses of our team. What i am worried about is, if those players are ,God forbid,injured or say retire , i am not feeling the current generation is ready to perform at same level.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Shastri is no coach, he is merely a cheerleader of virat's team. We surrendered the ICC champions trophy. Lost semi final with arguably best bowling line up we ever had. I can not help but say that i am really worried about the future pool of players . These players lack technique and temperament. The match we lost against New Zealand showed us lacking of our players. I am sorry but i believe IPL had more bad impact than good on our cricket. Players are going after money not skills. Our team is combination of 3 superstar,1 good,1 mediocre and rest of the players are mere passengers.
Paul
Roar Guru
sorry Jeff, I was thinking specifically about trophies, rather than series. Even still, on his watch, he won a one game series against Afghanistan. 2 series against an extremely weak Sri Lankan squad, beat us without Smith & Warner, so his numbers are just a tad inflated IMO. I also wonder how much of that is down to Shastri the coach as opposed to the galaxy of stars they've had in the past decade? It's funny how we both watched that series last year which India should have won easily with the squad they had, IMO, yet they were totally outplayed. I didn't think it was close at all, in fact, I thought the series in Australia was far closer, at least for the first couple of Tests.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Gee I don't know about that Paul, re little to show for their efforts. India has won 12 of their last 14 Test series. 5 out of 7 under Shastri. The away England series last year was a poor outcome on paper, though the 1-4 scorecard doesn't reflect how evenly fought the Tests were.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Shastri. He's a funny funny dude, I do like his persona. Saurebh, do you have a perspective on his man-management/people skills? India has always mostly been such a team of individuals rather than an individual team. Certainly during Tendulkar's long tenure in the side, that was an ongoing characteristic. Greg Chappell was definitely challenged by it. Perhaps it started under MS, but it seems like Kholi is the first Indian captain to really pull India together as a team where players know their role and are prepared to fulfill that for team structure and strategy. Probably because Virat leads by example on the field and isn't backwards in coming forward and stamping his authority off it. Shastri's main role it would seem to me is ensuring that sense of collective responsibility continues to be ensconced, so careful man-management and understanding how to relate to players seems like a key requirement.
Paul
Roar Guru
During Shastri's tenure, India have had a team where virtually every player would have few problems walking into nearly any other international side, across all three formats. The problem is, with the exception of a series win against a depleted Australian Test side, who ranked 5th to India's 1st, Kohli's men have little to show for their efforts. The key loss to Indian cricket will be MS Dhoni, not only for his batting and keeping, but his clear help to Kohli with field placements as well as his calming demeanor. It remains to be seen whether Shastri can mold this side to cope with this loss. As you rightly say Saurebh, only time will tell.