Whenever the Indian players talk about Ravi Shastri’s style of coaching, they emphasize the term ‘man management’. The former allrounder couldn’t win an ICC trophy during his seven-year-long tenure but inspired his team to script history on multiple occasions.
One such memorable incident was India’s last tour of Australia. The Test series started off with Team India’s debacle in Adelaide where they were bundled out for 36 in the second innings, ultimately losing the day-night affair by 8 wickets.
Virat Kohli had to return home on a paternity leave while the Australian media wrote off the visitors, leaving them no chance to fight back. But under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, the team bounced back in Melbourne with a 3-wicket win and became the first team to beat Australia at Gabba in 30 years after drawing the third Test in Sydney.
In the third Test, the Aussies set India a daunting 427 target only to be frustrated by the stubborn duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari as their 62-run unbeaten partnership helped India to draw the game.
Before they joined forces, Rishabh Pant had made the Australian bowlers dance to his tunes with a 97-run knock that included three sixes and 12 fours.
Had he been there till the end, India could have taken the lead in Sydney itself. But he was caught by Pat Cummins while slogging Nathan Lyon to get his hundred with a six.
Recalling the incident, India’s former head coach Shastri revealed how he cheered up a dejected Pant who was sitting all alone in the dressing room after throwing away his wicket.
Speaking with Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube show, ‘Kutti Stories with Ash’, Shastri said he had his own ways of dealing with every individual.
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“If I tell him don’t play [that particular shot] it, that’s against his nature. He might play it even more. I told him I getting bored, you are getting out in the same fashion,” Shastri said.
“It was to Nathan Lyon in Sydney when he batted brilliantly and got out at 97. He slogged one up there, came back [to the dressing room] and was sitting. And then the second new ball was taken and Pujji [Cheteshwar Pujara] hit seven boundaries.
“So, when I went into the loo, he was still sitting in the dressing room all alone with his pads on. I looked at him and said, Pujji is scoring all your runs. Seven he’s hit. Yes. It’s Pujji, he’s hit seven boundaries in half an hour,” Shastri explained.
“Then I said, ‘You are boring me yaar, hit reverse. You are getting out like this only no, aur Khatarnak fashion mein out hoja [get out more bizarrely]. And he said, ‘Ye hui naa baat’.
“Their mindset is completely different from someone else. I can’t go to Pujji and tell him to hit a reverse sweep. I have to ask him to just carry on. And that he has shown on multiple tours,” Shastri added.
After missing out on a hundred in Sydney, Pant again starred in the final innings of the final Test in Brisbane. He scored an unbeaten 89 off 138 balls, helping India successfully chase down 328 with three wickets remaining and breach Australia’s fortress.
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