Ravi Shastri: With captain Virat Kohli's blessing

For the Indian cricket team coach, matching exploits of his predecessor Anil Kumble, won't be easy

Around the same time last year, Ravi Shastri was censured by Sourav Ganguly for failing to appear in person for the interview that was to determine the new head coach of the Indian cricket team. Expressing doubts over his seriousness, Ganguly, along with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, decided to give the job to Anil Kumble instead. A year later, Shastri did much the same. Virender Sehwag was the only candidate who took the hassle of dragging himself to the interview room; Shastri’s rotund frame only emerged before the selection panel in what was most likely a computer screen, or a giant television set. Just that this time, Shastri landed the estimable — and thorny — post. 

Shastri’s appointment underscores a ubiquitous trend: Virat Kohli, who captains the team in all three formats, now enjoys omnipotent authority in Indian cricket. If Kohli wants something tweaked or someone ousted, he is likely to get his wish. That’s why the installation of Shastri, whose bromance with Kohli palpably flourished during his tenure as team director a few years ago, always had a ring of inevitability to it. In some ways, the entire selection process bordered on the farcical — once Kohli had intervened, Shastri was always destined to get the job. 

Shastri, after all, is Indian cricket’s Mr Teflon. In the despicable merry-go-round of Indian cricket, the 55-year-old is an imposing constant who can perform any role with unflustered proficiency: commentator, administrator, and now once again, coach. 

Conceding that Shastri is different from his predecessor, Kumble, would be a gross understatement. He is, in fact, quite the effervescent antithesis: unflinching, defiant and in your face. Kumble, despite leading the team to a string of impeccable results during his time in charge, was mostly aloof and unemotional. Kumble was like that studious football manager content with taking down notes and stoically gazing at proceedings; expect Shastri to bark out instructions and tear the touchline down. 

The fact that little cricketing logic was at work in Kumble’s departure, and the exit door for the legendary leg-spinner was truly unlatched only because of an embittered Kohli, makes Shastri’s appointment complex. First, he must repair broken relationships and soothe fragile egos within the Indian team. And, once this palaver falls silent, he can turn his attention to more pressing on-field concerns: how to forge a winning combination overseas, the future of Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and of course, the 2019 World Cup. 

Shastri’s job has perhaps been made all the more difficult because of Kumble’s stupefying record. Under him, India did not lose a single bilateral Test or limited-overs series, and only narrowly missed out on going all the way in last month’s Champions Trophy, capitulating against Pakistan in the final. Despite the pettish relationship he shared with his captain, Kumble helped India acquire the nerve-racking aura of a marauding army. In a pure cricketing sense, Kumble’s going to be a hard act to follow. To further elevate this Indian side — not that it can’t be done — Shastri will have to conjure up something exceptionally special. 

There are obvious reasons why Kohli adores Shastri. He espouses the same bombastic, all-or-nothing approach that the Indian skipper swears by. Such belligerence, however, has cost the Indian team in the past. During the Australian summer of 2014-15, India, desperately trying to pull off a monumental Test win at Adelaide, overreached and lost a match they could’ve well saved. Shastri later said that his team plays to win and drawing is never an option. Truth be told, India could do with a bit of Shastri’s adventurism — particularly in the one-day format — right now. Results have seldom been a problem in the past year, but a somewhat safe, placid approach of late has made the Indian team a tad tedious to watch. 

Moreover, that he has been appointed on Kohli’s insistence shouldn’t take away from the fact that Shastri is still an excellent choice. He remains an impassioned motivator, and a fine thinker of the game. As team director — from August 2014 to March 2016 — Shastri enjoyed considerable success, winning a one-day international series in England, clinching a historic Test series win in Sri Lanka, and claiming the T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Fortunately for him, Kumble has left behind a settled team with few discernible weaknesses. Add to that the inclusion of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid, who will help out Shastri with the bowling and batting coaching duties, respectively. Hopefully, the “everywhere man” in Shastri will stay at one place for some time to come.