Sports Desk

Ravi Shastri: This is the Best Performing Team on Overseas Tour in Last 15-20 Years

India has lost the Test series against England, but coach Ravi Shastri believes that this is the best performing Indian team on overseas ground in the last 15-20 years. In the Southampton Test, India had to tasted the defeat by 60 runs in the 4th Test match. After this, in the five-match series India has lagged 1-3.

“As hard as our guys tried, England were one-up on us there. Nothing to take away (from them), the endeavour of this team is to travel well, compete and win. If you look at the last three years, we have won nine matches overseas and three series (against West Indies and twice in Sri Lanka),” said Shastri here on Wednesday.

“I can’t see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that has had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series. So the promise is there, and it’s just about getting tougher mentally.

“You have got to hurt when you lose matches because that’s when you look within and come out with the right kind of answers to combat such situations and get past the finishing line. One day you will if you believe, said Shastri

The head coach underlined the need to grow mentally tougher in order to cross the finishing line and win Test series in overseas conditions, something Virat Kohli had stressed on after the loss at Southampton.

“I think you have got to get tough mentally. We have run teams close overseas and we have been competed. But now it’s not about competing (any longer). We have to win games from here onwards. Now the endeavour is to understand where you made the mistakes, take it head on and try to correct it.

Shastri said, ‘The scoreline is 1-3. That is, we have lost the series. But by the scoreline, it can not be understood that it could have been 3-1 or 2-2 in favor of India and we know it. After the last match, the team’s players got hurt. But our team will not give up here. ‘

Giving credit to Moeen Ali for his match-winning spell in the fourth Test, Shastri said, “You have to give credit to Moeen Ali there on the last day. To be honest, he bowled magnificently. I think it’s straightforward (difference between them) – very simple, very obvious, it was there for everyone to see. Moeen hit those patches more than Ashwin, as simple as that.”

He also praised Cheteshwar Pujara dazzling batting effort in the first innings.  “Pujara’s was an absolutely khadoos (stubborn/strict) innings. You obviously need the top order to give you a start but if you look at both sides its not been easy for the top order. The bowling has been good, really good, and it’s been a challenge and it is how you overcome that challenge,” Shastri said.

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