'He had landed just 3 days ago and I told him you will be playing': Shastri recalls 'biggest gamble' as India head coach

Ravi Shastri, who witnessed some major ups during his tenure as India coach, revealed the ‘biggest gamble’ he took during his stint.

Ravi Shastri has witnessed some major ups and few lows in his tenure as India head coach. Shastri was at the forefront of one of India’s biggest achievements – winning back-to-back Test series in Australia – in 2018/2019 and 2020/21. On both occasions, India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy winning the series 2-1, and although the latter would go down as the more memorable of the two, the first win will have its own place in the annals of Indian cricket.

Ravi Shastri made some bold calls during his coaching stint.  (Getty)

“2019 was a tremendous series. And we had the feeling on that tour that if we start off well, there is a chance. If we get Australia early, then there is a great chance. And we won in Adelaide. Went all the way down to the wire. I think by 30-odd runs we won but that was great because then that belief was there,” Shastri said on show titles ‘Bold and Brave The Ravi Shastri Way’.

India won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs before Australia bounced back to hammer them by in Perth by 146 runs. The Men in Blue regrouped to register a historic 137-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Boxing Day Test. It was in this match that Shastri admits taking the ‘biggest gamble’ of his sting as India coach.

“Yes, we lost in Perth where the wicket suited their bowling, and they hammered us. Virat played an outstanding innings, one of the great hundreds you’ll see. And then came Melbourne… I think Jadeja had come back from injury, Ash was injured. So we had to pick another side altogether. 1-1 in the series, that was the biggest gamble for me in my tenure as coach. Our openers were struggling, so we said that putting them in for another Test will put them under immense pressure and give the opposition an upper hand,” added Shastri.

“So we decided to go in with 2 new players. Mayank Agarwal… you know, he had just landed 3 days ago and I told him you will be playing. Just don’t think it’s Australia and think it’s another game and you are carrying that form. And Hanuma opened and did a very good job. He might not have got the volume of runs but as an opening batter you know how tough that session can be. He roughed it out there, saw the new ball through. Rest is history.”