Similarity of mindset with Kohli key, says Shastri
MUMBAI: India coach Ravi Shastri believes sharing a similar mindset with captain Virat Kohli, and the camaraderie between the players and the support staff is one of the biggest reasons behind the team’s success in recent times.
Shastri, who took over as the head coach after Anil Kumble’s controversial exit, has overseen the team’s successful outing in the three-Test series in Sri Lanka, where India registered their first-ever overseas series whitewash.
They have hammered them in
all four ODIs of the ongoing five-match series. On his part, Shastri believes that sharing a similar mindset with the captain has helped his two-year tenure as India’s head coach get off to a successful start.
Shastri told bcci.tv, “It makes communication so much easier because when the mindset is similar and you are on the same page, then that reflects in the way that you will see the other players reacting.”
“When you see this Indian cricket team on the field, you feel like watching them play. There is energy; there is camaraderie, an element of sharing, an element of happiness in anyone’s success,” he said.
“There is great disappointment if they don’t play to their potential, which is very important. It’s a great game. It will give you a lot of happiness and at the same time bring you down to earth. That’s the beauty of sport. But, then how you get up as a team and not as an individual, that is what will define this Indian cricket team and that is what our endeavour is — to have a great relationship,” said Shastri, underlining the importance of having a strong bond between teammates.
Speaking further on the importance of having a strong bond, Shastri said, “As far as the team is concerned, the trust factor that exists in the dressing room, the camaraderie between the players and the support staff, like Virat has mentioned, there is no senior or junior in the team because everyone’s a team player and everyone has to contribute.”