Ex-Team India all-rounder Ravi Shastri spoke honestly about the highs and lows during his tenure as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Shastri talked about the Test series in Australia which was eventually won by Team India 2-1 despite being 1-0 down along with a list of injury setbacks. However, the pain was quite palpable when he spoke about India's sudden collapse in the second innings of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval which saw the visitor's get bowled out for 36 - their lowest total in Test cricket.
In the interview with The Week, Shastri told how the entire contingent was "numb" and "in a state of shock" as the famed Indian batting line-up capitulated in only 21.2 overs.
"See, the coach is in the firing line; there is no choice. That is the quirk of the job. You have to be ready from day one. I knew there would be no escape routes. The 36 all out was the lowest point. We had nine wickets in hand [overnight] and then we were bundled out for 36. All that had to be done was score 80-odd more runs [to be in the game]. We were all numb. We were in a state of shock for days. How could that have happened?" Shastri said.
Shastri, however, seemed unperturbed by the criticism and said that he owed the debacle to himself and asked the Team to buckle up and perform better from then onwards. The results were there to be seen as India ended as the winners of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"It was not just me. I would be the first to put my hand up and say I was the one responsible, take the brickbats; there is no place to hide. I told the boys to focus on what they could do. The boys were unbelievable. One month after that 36 all out, on January 19, we had won the series. I am still thinking, how did that happen? I promise, as long as I live, people will talk about that series win," added Shastri.
Pacer Josh Hazlewood was the wrecker-in-chief with a stupendous five-wicket haul while fellow fast bowler Pat Cummins also bagged four wickets. Australia clinched the first Test by eight wickets.