Ravi Shastri Defends Rohit Sharma's Decision to Celebrate Avoiding Follow-on Against Australia
Mumbai, December 19, 2022: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has come in support of Team India's decision to celebrate after avoiding the follow-on during the rain-hit third Test against Australia in Brisbane. The series is now locked at 1-1.
The celebrations broke out after Indian bowler Akash Deep sliced a Pat Cummins delivery over the gully for a boundary, which helped the team avoid falling behind 2-0 in the five-match series. The move was seen as a bold decision by captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir.
Shastri, who is currently on the ICC Review show, believes that the celebrations were justified. "You should celebrate. It required a lot of character from the last pair with 35-36 runs needed. That celebration showed they knew the importance of that effort within the dressing room in the context of the series," he said.
The former India coach also recalled a similar instance during the 2021 series against England at Lord's, where Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami put together an 89-run partnership to secure a crucial win. This, Shastri believes, highlighted the importance of lower-order batters coming in and saving the game.
He further emphasized that this move was not just about celebrating avoiding the follow-on but also demonstrating character from within the team. The Indian team's fight and determination, according to Shastri, will serve as a boost ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
While many in the Australian camp were taken aback by India's decision, Shastri feels that his current assessment sees India taking control of the series from here on out. With the crucial games still remaining, Shastri believes that if the key players step up for India, they will find it hard to compete against them.
"There'll be a massive boost in their team. If the big boys wake up and step up to the plate, which I just get the gut feeling they will, then Australia have a problem on their hands. They've been kept in this series single-handedly by Jasprit Bumrah," he said.