When India last played a Test match against Australia in Adelaide in BGT 20-21, the visitors were bundled out for 36 – their lowest score in Test history- in the second innings
Our Bureau
Adelaide
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri opened up on stalwart batter Virat Kohli’s unbeaten ton in the first Test of the ongoing five-match Test series. The star Indian batter had struggled in the months prior to the Australia tour, managing just one half-century and averaging a modest 21.33 across five home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
However, Ravi Shastri remained unwavering in his faith in the lead-up, boldly claiming in an earlier episode of The ICC Review that the “King is back in his territory” against Australia. His prediction proved spot on, as Kohli smashed his 30th Test ton in the second innings, putting the game well beyond Australia’s reach en route to India’s mammoth 295-run win.
His 100 (not out) off 143 balls was a throwback to his best, showcasing a perfect blend of composure and attacking strokeplay. Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on the latest ICC Review, Shastri broke down Kohli’s performance in Perth, commending his swift adaptability to the conditions and highlighted the key adjustments that powered his return to form.
“He came out not like a cat on a hot tin roof. That impressed me the most. Otherwise, a batsman gets out, even before the guy walks 10 yards from the stumps, Virat is halfway down into the ground. Take your time. You are one of the best the world has seen. Let the opposition play at your pace. And that’s exactly what he did in both the innings,” Shastri said as quoted by the ICC.
“In the first innings, he got a good one that bounced. But what I liked immediately was the way he adapted. He went for the back in the crease to counter the bounce, six inches so that it gave him a little more time and basically his composure and the way he moved in the crease. You knew within 10 minutes, I’ve seen a lot of his batting, but within 10 minutes, you knew that if this guy has a little bit of luck in the first 20-25 minutes, he is going to make it count. So, it didn’t come as a surprise. Sometimes you see it very quickly. So that start gave me that confidence to believe that,” the former Indian cricketer added.
Ravi Shastri also recalled 36 all-out score of Indian teams at the venue and said while it will not play any role, the team should have it “at the back of their mind” so that they are cautious. He said things can happen quickly with pink ball.
When India last played a Test match against Australia in Adelaide in BGT 20-21, the visitors were bundled out for 36 – their lowest score in Test history- in the second innings.
“I don’t think it will play any role but it should be at the back of their mind because you know things happen very quickly with a pink ball. You realise that in a session of play if things don’t go your way and the bowling is good, things can happen rapidly,” Shastri told The ICC Review.
“Now the fact that they are one up should put them in a really great frame of mind going ahead in this Test match because I think it’s a massive opportunity for India to tighten the screws further. The pressure will be on Australia,” the former Indian cricketer added.
The then India head coach pointed out that a defeat in their previous pink-ball outing against Australia had an element of freak attached to it.
“See, what we did after that 36 was – like I said at that time – that I’d never seen, and I said it in the dressing room, I’d never seen so much of playing and nicking as opposed to playing and missing. I’d watched cricket for about 40 years. And to be honest, that was a session where hardly any player played and missed. If he did anything, he got a nick. So, it was not beating the bat. You know, the bowlers’ [being] unlucky … it was just the batsmen being unlucky on that day,” Shastri said.
