Ravi Shastri has ended his tenure as the head coach of Team India. He had a successful four-year stint, as we look at Team India's five best achievements under his guidance.
Team India head coach Ravi Shastri failed to guide the side towards a successful campaign in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. While he had a flourishing four-year reign, he could not help the said gain success in the ICC tournaments. As his tenure ends, we look at five of his significant achievements as the Indian head coach.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
In 2018-19, India was on a mission, as it toured Australia for a complete series. When it came to the four-Test series, India was off to a successful start in Adelaide before losing in Perth. However, India upped its ante during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, which gave the Indians enough confidence to pull it through. In the following Sydney Test, Australia issued a strong fightback. But, the Indians did not back down and ensured that the Test ended in a draw, thus registering their maiden Test series win Down Under while becoming the first Asian side to do so. Another similar win followed it in 2020-21.
Caribbean whitewash
India toured the Windies in 2019, where it played a couple of Tests. However, with the host struggling for the past few years, India was already a favourite to win it. It managed to win the opening Test in Antigua, followed by another convincing win in Jamaica. As a result, it was India's first-ever series whitewash in the Caribbean.
At the top for over 30 months
Under Shastri, India climbed to the pinnacle of the most fantastic format of the sport. It gained the number one ICC Test Ranking and stayed at the top for more than 30 months. If Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli's tenure is consolidated, it grosses 42 months. Indeed, India became a force to be reckoned with in Test cricket.
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ICC World Cup 2019 and ICC World Test Championship 2021
Shastri also helped India reach the semis of the 2019 CWC but failed to get past New Zealand. He also helped the side reach the final of the 2021 WTC but again failed against NZ. Nevertheless, both campaigns turned out to be highly efficient and fruitful for Team India.
Whitewashing the Lankans
Immediately following Shastri's appointment, his first job was the tour of Sri Lanka in 2017. The side played three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a Twenty20 International (T20I). While India convincingly beat the Lankans 3-0 in the Tests, the ODIs were convincing too for the Indians, winning 5-0, followed by a win in the lone T20I too. Thus overall, it was a 7-0 tour whitewash, a first for India ever.