IND v AUS 2023: Rohit Sharma calls Ravi Shastri an outsider while responding to latter’s “overconfidence” remark

Shastri had said that the Indian team lost in Indore due to "overconfidence".

After winning the first two Tests against Australia in Nagpur and Delhi, Team India were expected to defeat the visitors in the third Test in Indore and secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Instead, the hosts suffered a nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Australia at Holkar Cricket Stadium. On a pitch that offered sharp turn, the Rohit Sharma-led side was bowled out for 109 and 163 across the two innings and lost the match in two days and a session.

After the game, ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri asserted that the Indian team lost in Indore due to "overconfidence".

Ahead of the fourth Test, however, Shastri’s comment has been termed rubbish" by skipper Rohit Sharma, who minced no words while calling the former coach an "outsider".

"Honestly, when you win two games and people on the outside feel that we are overconfident, it's absolutely rubbish because you want to do your best in all four games," Rohit told reporters on the eve of the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad.

"You don't want to stop by winning two games. It is as simple as that. Obviously, all these guys, when they talk about being overconfident and all and especially when they are not part of dressing room, they don’t know what sort of talk happens in dressing room," he added.

"We want to do best in all games and if it seems overconfident, or anything like that for outsiders, it doesn't really matter to us," he continued.

Rohit was a tad disappointed with the fact that Shastri knows how the system works and could have been empathetic in his choice of words.

"Because Ravi has been himself in this dressing room and he knows what sort of mindset we have when we play," Rohit said.

"So yeah, it's about being ruthless and not being overconfident. Ruthless is the word that comes to every cricketer's mind, not to give an inch to opposition when they are touring abroad.

"We have also experienced that when we have toured outside, the opposition will never let you come into the game or series, and that is the mindset we have as well," he further remarked.

Despite losing the third Test, the home team is leading the series 2-1. The fourth and final Test is due to get underway on March 9.

(With PTI Inputs)