Shastri’s strong views on India’s Brisbane follow-on celebrations
The former coach believes India were well within their rights to celebrate passing the follow-on in Brisbane and can build on their effort as the Test series against Australia heads to Melbourne.
India’s resilience on the final day of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane has been a defining moment in the ongoing series and provided the team with a psychological boost ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, according to former coach Ravi Shastri.
Shastri reflected on the importance of the Indian team avoiding the follow-on at the Gabba when speaking with host Sanjana Ganesan on the most recent episode of The ICC Review.
“You should celebrate,” Shastri said. “It required a lot of character from the last pair with 35-36 runs needed. That celebration showed, they knew the importance of that effort within the dressing room in the context of the series.”
The effort from Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep was not just about saving the follow-on, but setting the tone for the next phase of the game.
As Shastri put it, “It's one thing following on, it's one thing then again being 2-3 down as opposed to, you going ahead and rattling the Australian top-order. It is fully justified.”
Shastri was quick to compare this performance to similar moments in India’s recent history, particularly recalling the remarkable 89-run partnership between Bumrah and Mohammed Shami at Lord’s during the 2021 series against England.
“It reminded me of the celebration, when in COVID times, when Jasprit and Mohammed Shami were involved in a partnership at Lord’s, which turned the game on its head,” Shastri said.
“England were odds on favourites on the final day to win the Test. And that partnership, I think of about 80 or 90, suddenly turned the game on its head and by the end of the day, India had won the Test match.”
For Shastri, India’s recent successes in Test cricket have often been defined by the stubbornness and resilience of the tail-enders.
Whether it’s Bumrah and Shami’s resilience, or the steadfast batting of Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari in Sydney, the ability of the lower order to fight it out has been handy for India in recent times.
“When the tail-enders are stubborn, they fight it out there. It makes a massive difference. It did it on the last tour. When Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari batted the whole of the last session to save the game, going into the Gabba and then winning the series,” Shastri noted.
Such performances lift the entire team and provide a psychological advantage in high-stakes series. Shastri believes that the fight shown in this Test could prove crucial for India as the series moves forward.
“It'll lift the Indian team. And for me, the series is on a level peg now and India might just be calling the shots,” he said.
With the series tied at 1-1 ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Shastri emphasised the significance of this moment in the context of the series, particularly with India’s challenging road ahead.
“Massive. They would give anything for a 1-1 result,” Shastri said, reflecting on the early stages of the series.
“The first Test is in Perth, second Test is a day-nighter in Adelaide, and then the third Test in Brisbane. Any overseas team will, you know, settle for a 1-1 score because come Melbourne, come Sydney, I think India will be powerful.”
India’s confidence heading into Melbourne is palpable. Despite being pushed to the brink in the third Test, Shastri believes that India now find themselves in a strong position.
“They've been kept in this series single-handedly by Jasprit Bumrah,” Shastri said. “If the big boys wake up, and step up to the plate which I just get the gut feeling they will, then Australia has a problem on their hands.
“Yeah, they got out of jail but they are not on bail. They are free birds in Melbourne. They can do what they want and come and attack Australia on Boxing Day.”