India's former head coach Ravi Shastri is not one to mince words. Once again, Shastri has reacted in his typical style to Ravichandran Ashwin’s comments which included made huge revelations from India’s tour of Australia in 2018.
Ashwin had recalled a time when Shastri had called Kuldeep Yadav India’s “no.1 overseas spinner” in an interview with ESPNCricinfo which made him feel “crushed” after the chinaman had taken a five-wicket haul in Sydney Test.
Shastri feels that his comments made a positive impact on Ashwin as he came back stronger.
“Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep bowled well. So it's fair I give Kuldeep a chance. If that hurt Ashwin, I am very happy. It made him do something different. My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda.
“If your coach challenges you, what will you do? Go home crying and say I won't come back. I as a player would take it as a challenge, to prove the coach wrong,” Shastri told Indian Express.
Shastri feels that there is a stark difference between the Ashwin of 2019 and 2021. He lauded the off-spinner’s bowling performances calling him “world class”.
The 59-year-old also lauded Ashwin for his partnership with Hanuma Vihari in the drawn on the same ground.
“Ash and Hanuma showed great character in Sydney. I think we won the series there. On December 19, we were 36 all out. On January 19, exactly a month later, it was like buccaneers storming the Gabba, stealing the jewels and taking the flight back. That series will go down as one of the epic series,” the former World Cup-winner said.
