India will 'really miss' Hardik Pandya, says Ravi Shastri

The Indians are in Australia for a long tour – the first of three Twenty20 Internationals is on 21 November, followed by four Test matches, and finally the three-match one-day international series, which ends on 18 January.

The big one among them is the last. The ICC Men’s World Cup 2019, after all, is around the corner. But the Indians have spoken about the primacy of Test cricket more than once in recent times, and seeing the performances in South Africa and England, where India lost despite pushing hard, that series becomes the focus.

“(It's about) seizing the big moments. If you look at those Test matches, the scoreline doesn't tell you the full story. There were some very tight Test matches and we lost some big moments badly, which cost us the series at the end of it,” said Shastri after the Indians’ arrival in Australia.

“It could have been just an hour in a session over four days, which made all the difference, whether in South Africa or in England. You’ve got to learn from that, either as a batsman or a bowler, and see what happens after that.”

The Indian bowling attack for the Tests in Australia has Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav as the pacers, and Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav the spinners.

The missing link there is Hardik Pandya, the pace-bowling all-rounder, who is still out with the injury he picked up during the Asia Cup 2018.

“I think they should enjoy bowling on these pitches if they are the pitches like we've seen in the past. It is important we stay fit as a unit, because that is when you can get the best out of them,” said Shastri.

“One player we'll really miss is Hardik Pandya, who's had an injury, because he gives that balance to the side as a bowler and as a batsman, which allows you to play the extra bowler. Now we've got to think twice. Hopefully he'll get fit soon and if the fast bowlers do well, then we'll not miss him much.”

Many observers feel that in the absence of David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith, the Australians are off their best and India have their best chance of winning a Test series in the country. As such, India have won just five Test matches in Australia in all these years, the last of them in January 2008.

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Are Australia at their weakest then? “I don't think so,” Shastri replied. “Once you have a sporting culture in you, you'll have that.

“I have always believed no team is weak at home. We might have three-four players not playing when a team comes to India, but god forbid anyone says it's a weak team. Because you'll be surprised.

“At the end of the day, it's the cricket that talks. I don't care if a (Glenn) McGrath or a (Shane) Warne said something or didn't say something. They would have still taken wickets. When you are good at what you do, and if you do it consistently, it doesn't matter which side you're playing for, that cricketer will do well and so will the team.”