'Always had belief never to appoint a vice-captain for India...' - Shastri on Rahul's axe as Rohit's deputy
KL Rahul has been dropped as the Indian vice-captain for the ongoing Tests against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for his poor run of form. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri has backed the decision, saying he never vouched for the role.
FollowFormer Indian head coach Ravi Shastri is against picking a vice-captain in a home series as he feels it complicates the selection of the best XI when the deputy team leader is not in form. Shastri also hinted that young opener Shubman Gill should replace wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul in the remaining two Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
There has been a lot of talk around India vice-captain Rahul's prolonged lean patch. The opener has scores of 22, 23, 10, two, 20, 17 and one in his last seven innings. With the young Gill waiting in the wings despite his stellar run across formats, the pressure is increasing on Rahul.
"The team management knows his [Rahul's] form. They know his mental state. They know how they should be watching someone like Gill. I always believed [to] never appoint a vice-captain for India. I would rather go with my best XI, and if the captain has to leave the field, you will zero in on a player that can take over at the time simply because you don't need to create complications," Shastri said on the ICC Review podcast.
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Rahul, the designated vice-captain for the first two Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, has retained his place for the final two games but is no longer senior skipper-cum-opener Rohit Sharma's deputy. "If the vice-captain doesn't perform, someone can take his place; at least the tag is not there. I'm being blunt and brutal," he added.
"I never like vice-captain in home condition. Overseas, it's different. Here, you want prime form. You want someone like Gill, who's red hot. He will challenge. He has to bang that door down and get into the side. Now, he's not the vice-captain. It has to be team management's decision," continued Shastri.
The former India all-rounder said there is no talent shortage in India, and a player needs to be consistent to keep his place in the team. "They will have to see the form, his state of mind. He's a tremendous player, but talent is only so much. You have to convert that into results and be consistent," Shastri considered.
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"There's so much talent in India knocking on the door. It's not just Rahul. There are many in the middle-order and bowling lineup as well. There is a lot of department," he assessed. Shastri said a break could do good for a player struggling with form.
"Sometimes a break for the player in those conditions is far better because he can go away, work on his game and return stronger. In my tenure, Pujara was dropped- came back with hundreds. KL Rahul was dropped and came back strongly. You can't carry T20 form into Test cricket," Shastri persisted.
"The WTC final will be a different ball game, but India will have the psychological edge"
India has retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy after taking a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series. Another win will confirm their spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final in London, where they will likely meet Australia again.
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Although England's conditions will differ, Shastri feels India will have a psychological edge over their rivals. "There will be an impact, but conditions will be other. Australia's fast bowlers will be back fully fit then there will be a different ball game. But, the psychological dent will make India believe that even in those conditions, they can upstage Australia. Hopefully, Jasprit Bumrah will be back, [Mohammed] Shami will be there, and [Mohammed] Siraj has been bowling beautifully. A 4-0 win here will psychologically send a strong signal," he feels.
"Lack of application and discipline among Australians was unreal"
Australian batters have struggled to play Indian spinners. They suffered a dramatic batting collapse in the second Test, losing nine wickets for 52 runs in 90 minutes. "I think application [has let them down] more than anything else. They lack belief in their defence. The lack of application and discipline was unreal, and Australia paid for it big time," Shastri said.
Shastri urged the Australians to go back to basics and spend time in the middle, defending the ball rather than attacking from the get-go. "... go back to the drawing board. If you don't trust your defence, you have no chance because that's when you entertain thoughts of breaking free much quicker than you usually should. Sometimes you've got to spend some time at the crease, but how will you [do it] if you don't trust your defence?" he questioned.
"But, I didn't see one Australian batsman [do that]. What surprised me was some of their most senior players also came out there and looked to do things out of the ordinary, something they're not used to, far quicker than later. And especially in conditions that suit the Indians. So, it's patience. It's an application. It's discipline and trusting your defence," concluded Shastri.
(With inputs from PTI)
