If team’s criticism is agenda driven, I will punch back: Shastri

Melbourne, January 18 

India coach Ravi Shastri says he will punch back at critics in case he feels the criticism directed at the team is “agenda driven”. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Shastri said: “If it is constructive, then fine. If I find it is agenda driven, I don’t care who the individual is, then I will throw a punch back straightaway. I mean it. I don’t care if he is a legend or a normal person. If I feel I have to punch back, I will.” 

The most recent criticism came from the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who had questioned the team combination and training methods after India’s defeat in the Perth Test. Shastri had dismissed the critics as someone sitting million of miles away “firing blanks.” “Gavaskar responded by saying that these “blanks” pushed the team into doing well at Melbourne.  

When asked to compare Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, Shastri said the Mumbai maestro was “more composed”, while Kohli is more “in your face”. “Yesterday someone asked me if there are any similarities between Sachin and Virat. I said there were plenty. Let’s start with work ethic,” he said. “It is doing the hard yards, looking ugly in the nets and sacrificing important things for your cricket. It is staying in the zone. No excuses. No pointing fingers at others. If you make a mistake, then own up. They do that,” Shastri added.

He then cited the difference. “Virat can be in your face. He is the closest a player has come to Vivian Richards in the way he bats. He is also prepared to do hard work and be ugly. That is part of his batting he learned in England,” said the Indian coach. 

Shastri feels the priority Kohli gives to Test cricket will have a huge impact. “In our country where everything is driven by T20, IPL and ODI cricket, to have an individual like him to put the onus on Test cricket is massive because all the young kids want to emulate him,” said Shastri. — PTI