India in Australia: After MCG Draw, Gavaskar, Shastri Clash Over Team's Mindset

'Old-fashioned' Sunil Gavaskar and director of a new-age team Ravi Shastri clashed over India's performance in the Test series in Australia so far. After the third Test ended in a draw with four overs remaining on the final day at Melbourne on Tuesday, Gavaskar and Shastri were engaged in a TV debate over India's mindset in the series. They were poles apart in their views. (Scorecard | Blog)

"To hell with the scoreline. I care a hoot whether we lose 3-0 or 4-0," said Shastri on STAR Sports in a belligerent riposte to Sanjay Manjrekar's question on India's performance in the series. "I am happy with the team's mindset to play to win. This team has pushed Australia hard and that's important to me," said Shastri.(Dhoni Retires From Test Cricket)

Shastri waxed eloquent on the attitude shown by Team India. "This team has shown that it has come to compete. But for 20 minutes of madness that cost India a five-day game, the mindset has been fantastic. No excuses about umpiring etc. but I am happy," said Shastri, adding the draw at MCG, first in Melbourne in 17 years, was "commendable."(Match Report)

Manjrekar and Gavaskar clearly disagreed with Shastri. "Scoreline does matter, Ravi," signed off Manjrekar even as Gavaskar sounded terribly upset at Shastri's admiration of the mindset shown by MS Dhoni's team.(Gavaskar Backs Dhoni's Decision)

"If you are suggesting that the teams of the seventies didn't have the mindset to play to win, then it is utter nonsense. Yes, we didn't have TV during our days and we didn't belong to the 'hype' generation, but we also went overseas to win," said Gavaskar.

If there was anyone in the team that expressed Team India's aggressive mindset, it was Virat Kohli. Shastri's reactions make it amply clear that Kohli had the dressing room's support to engage in verbal duels with the unusually tepid Australians, still under emotional stress after the death of Phillip Hughes.

Kohli's has grabbed the spotlight both with his bat and mouth. The MCG Test will probably be remembered for Kohli's sledging match with Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin. That the fiery Indian vice-captain had Shastri's backing is now very clear. If losing a series doesn't matter to Shastri, another fine - Kohli was fined for a squabble in the first Test at Adelaide - will be passed off as an insignificant scar.

Shastri and Gavaskar had different views on the future of the current Test team. Skipper Dhoni called the team "young" and Shastri said "the team needed 12 months to become a bullet side and be among the top three". Gavaskar disagreed completely.

"Test match is not a learning school," said Gavaskar. "This team has been together for a long time now. How many Tests do you need to learn? Should we have a nine-Test series?" the former Test captain asked tongue-in-cheek.

Gavaskar said losing the first Test in Adelaide was a criminal offence. "What mindset are you talking about? You play loose strokes and give away the match on a platter. May be I am too old-fashioned to understand the team's mindset," Gavaskar taunted, clearly not amused at Shastri's mindset as team director.