Cricket / Band bajake aa gaye unka: Shastri on beating Australia in presence of Warner, Smith

Cricket Desk: Team India head coach Ravi Shastri gave an epic reaction to the historic Test series win in Australia on Friday. Shastri said without several key players India played dominant cricket against Australia who had Steve Smith and David Warner on their side.

After a massive defeat in Adelaide Test, where India registered their lowest ever score in Test cricket- 36, the Asian giants bounced back in the series in the absence of Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and other key players. India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by winning the series 2-1. It was India’s second back-to-back series win on Australian soil

Earlier in 2018/19, India won the series with identical results: 2-1. At that time several cricketers claimed, Australia had a weak team in Steve Smith and David Warner’s absence who were serving the ball-tampering ban.

Shastri said it will be tough to replicate a period like this where anyone can win back-to-back series in Australia.

“Public memory is so short. In your lifetime, you will never go through a period like this where you go and win back-to-back in Australia.

“When we went last time, people said ‘last time Smith wasn’t there Warner wasn’t there’. This time who did we have? Band bajaake aa gaye unka,” Shastri said on Star Sports.

Shastri hailed the character of the Indian players after the Adelaide drubbing and injury crisis in the squad.

“I think the character the boys showed right through will stay with for long. I don’t think cricket has seen anything like this.

“To go and play 16 days of Test match cricket, to come back from 36-all out was unreal. Towards the end, we didn’t have anyone to pick.

“There was one player left in the dressing room to pick. If there were a concussion injury, he would have also played. Kartik Tyagi is the player. Your hair stands when you think of it,” he said.