Shastri demands players ‘show grit, look ugly, dirty’
NOTTINGHAM : India coach Ravi Shastri demanded the batsmen show mental discipline to stand up to England’s swing bowling that has left the visitors 0-2 down in the Test series.
Shastri, who had a long chat with the players before the start of the training session on Thursday, defended the batsmen on being asked to explain why Ajinkya Rahane, regarded as vital in overseas conditions, was struggling. “I don’t think it’s fair to single out any player. Batsmen from both teams have struggled,” he said.
“When the occasion demands, it’s a case of mental resolve, how you put mind over matter. Mental discipline will be the key as far as batsmen are concerned in this Test. He (Rahane) is one of our pillars and will remain so.
“Conditions have been tough as you have seen right through this series. But that’s where character comes into play, discipline comes into play, the resolve to know where your off stump is, leave a lot of balls, be prepared to look ugly and dirty and show some grit.”
However, India batsmen have fared much below par. Only skipper Virat Kohli had a fifty-plus score in the first Test at Edgbaston. England, besides tormenting India with swing bowling, have had contributions from skipper Joe Root (80), Jonny Bairstow (70, 93), Sam Curran (63) and Chris Woakes (137 no) with the bat.
STOKES IS BACK
India will have a fresh headache as all-rounder Ben Stokes, acquitted of affray charges by a Bristol court on Tuesday, is back in the England squad. There is furious debate whether England should welcome Stokes back this soon and England coach Trevor Bayliss questioned on this.
Shastri said: “We focus on cricket. He is a terrific cricketer, we would like to play against top cricketers. If he has been cleared by the courts, what is the reason for him not to play? If I was in England’s position I would have wanted him to play.”
He admitted picking Chinaman bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, ahead of a third paceman at Lord’s was a mistake. Neither Kuldeep or R Ashwin took a wicket, and England leg-spinner Adil Rashid did not bowl.
“In hindsight, it was an error. We should have gone, seeing the conditions, with an extra seamer. It might have helped. Then again, you didn’t know how much it would rain, whether a match could go into the final day where just in case a spinner is needed and the ball starts to turn, would we have needed him.”
BAYLISS WARNS HOSTS
Virat Kohli’s back trouble flared up during the Lord’s Test but England coach Trevor Bayliss warned the hosts on Thursday that he could be even more dangerous in the Trent Bridge game starting on Saturday.
“It could mean he’s more of a dangerous player,” Bayliss said. “Through history there are a lot of players who have played with an injury and scored runs and taken wickets. I don’t know if that focuses the mind more ... but I have just seen him take some slip catches without any problems, so I’m sure he’ll be playing.” Success is like a magnet that brings the players closer. On the other hand, failure is a repellent that can push players away from each other. But like happy families, good teams also come closer in moments of crises. An abject loss can be very demoralising and if not handled sensitively, it can lead to players drifting away, and the moment it happens, there’s no recourse to past glory. At least, not in the immediate future.
Every dressing room in the world shares the same DNA — it’ll always comprise of supremely confident players (who have found their path and can be trusted to be left alone), players who often need an arm around their shoulder (need comforting and handling with kid gloves), players who need to be constantly challenged (harsh words and actions are necessary for their betterment) and players who tend to gravitate towards the happy areas in the room (generally the younger lot that can be called the fringe players).
Understanding the dynamics of a dressing room is critical to chart a new course of action following a dreadful loss. While it’s almost a norm that a loss like Lord’s, as opposed to the loss at Edgbaston, would invite some harsh words from the captain and coach, a good coach-captain understands that everyone is equally hurt and therefore, showing them a mirror is going to be enough. It’s also important to avoid singling out individuals, for you run a risk of losing that player.
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Good teams identify a leadership group really early and that makes all kinds of crisis management a lot easier. Coach-captain are never going to be enough to address everyone’s needs and concerns individually and therefore, you need more hands on deck to firefight properly.
In my time with the Indian team, seniors like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar had assumed that responsibility, which not only left Sourav Ganguly and John Wright to focus on team strategies but also, took a huge burden off their shoulders.
The defeats in Melbourne and Lahore hurt us deeply but the leadership group never allowed it to become big enough for the younger lot to be affected by it. It’ll be interesting to know if the current Indian team has a leadership group and what kind of roles they’ve assumed and are assigned, for getting the team together in the right spirit after back to back losses can be quite a task.
ONLY QUICK-FIX
India might have lost the first two Tests; they need to have a strong