'Told Rahul I got the job by mistake': Shastri's huge revelation on chat with Dravid over Team India head coach role
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri made a big revelation on his stint with the side as he opened up on a chat with Rahul Dravid, the current coach.
Team India's former head coach Ravi Shastri enjoyed tremendous success with the side during his stint. Under Shastri, India registered twin Test series wins in Australia, and also led 2-1 in the five-Test series against England last year before the final game was eventually postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. India had also reached the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup under Shastri. He stepped down from his role following the 2021 T20 World Cup, following which the former India cricketer was succeeded by Rahul Dravid.
During a broadcasting stint with Sky Cricket, Shastri opened up on his conversation with Dravid. Shastri revealed he was actually appointed by ‘mistake’.
“No better person to take over after me than Rahul. I got the job by mistake, which I told Rahul. I was in the commentary box and I was asked to go there and I did my bit. But Rahul is a guy who has come through the system and done the hard yards,” Shastri said during a conversation with former England cricketers Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain.
“He’s been coach of the U-19 team and then he has taken over the Indian team and I think he will enjoy it, once the team starts responding to what he says.”
Further speaking on his coaching role, Shastri said that his major task in the position was to shed the ‘home track bullies’ tag.
“The last thing I was worried about was media. If the boys performed, the media will react the way you want. If you don’t do well, they have a right to smash you and if you do well, you will get the accolades. Our job was very simple, what the media did not like about Indian cricket. The fact was that we were bullies at home, and we didn’t play great cricket when we were overseas. So the job for me with the team was to prove them wrong," said Shastri.
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