India’s head coach Ravi Shastri is seen taking an interview ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match between India and Namibia at the Dubai International Stadium on November 08, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Indian team was “mentally and physically exhausted” during the T20 World Cup and “didn’t even try to win” as it was not operationalized during pressure situations in the big games, outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri said. The team conceded a surprise before the final match in the showpiece here on Monday.
Shastri, whose tenure as head coach ended this evening, also said that his successor Rahul Dravid has “inherited” a great team and will only raise the bar looking at his stature and experience as it is now. Also not in “transition”.
When Ian Bishop asked during a televised interview on official broadcasters about the poor campaign during which India lost to Pakistan and New Zealand, Shastri said: “I can only relax.”
“I’m mentally exhausted but I expect that at my age but these guys are physically and mentally exhausted. Six months in a bubble… what we would ideally like is a big gap between the two.” There was a difference. IPL And the T20 World Cup… (because) when the big matches come, when you are under pressure, you don’t switch on the way you should be.”
Shastri said that he does not want to make any excuse but the team is not in a position to even try to win matches here.
“It’s not an excuse. We lose and we’re not afraid to lose. Trying to win, you’ll lose a game but here we try not to win because that X-factor was missing.”
Shastri believes that the best thing about Dravid’s upcoming stint will be that he has a world-class team which is still at least four years away from going into transition mode. Dravid’s tenure will begin with the home T20 and Test series against New Zealand.
“Absolutely, in Rahul Dravid, we have found a man who has inherited a great team and with his stature and experience, he can only raise the bar in times to come,” Shastri said.
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Praising Kohli as always, Shastri says, “Virat is still there and as the leader of the team, he is one of the biggest and best ambassadors of Test cricket.”
“… a lot of credit goes to the way he went about playing the game and how the team rallied around him.”
For Shastri, building a team that could win Test matches overseas brought him the greatest job satisfaction.
Asked about the high points, he said: “There’s a lot in all formats, but I would say wins in red ball cricket around the world, wins in West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia.
“England, we are leading a series, may have the longest lead in the history of Test cricket because the next Test is next year, but I take it and settle for it for 12 months,” he said in the fifth Test. Referring to the said, which was suspended. for a COVID-19 outbreak.
“But to beat these sides and every team in red and white ball cricket, we beat sides in their den which was my effort and the effort of the team. You were always labeled as the big bullies at home, But when we used to go out, we did ‘There is no material. This team has shown and much more.”
There is no doubt in Shastri’s mind that he has made a huge difference.
“When I took this job, in my mind I wanted to make a difference and I think I have. Sometimes in life it is not what you achieve, but what you have achieved.
“What these guys have achieved in the last five years is that they have traveled all over the world and won in every corner of the world in all formats of the game and whatever happens here, it is the great sport of the game. One of the teams. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind.”
“It’s unfortunate that we’re out of this tournament, but it doesn’t take anything away from a great side,” he concluded.
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