India head coach Ravi Shastri on Sunday (November 22) endorsed Virat Kohli’s decision to put family before cricket.
Kohli will miss three Tests in the upcoming Australia tour due to the birth of his first child. The Indian skipper and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting a child in January, and he has been granted permission by the BCCI to return home after the Test series opener.
The battle for the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick-start with the pink-ball affair at the Adelaide Oval on December 17. Melbourne will host the second Test from December 26 while the third and fourth Tests will be played in Sydney Cricket Ground (January 7-11) and Brisbane's Gabba (January 15-19), respectively.
"I think it's the right decision he's taking. These moments don't come time and time again. He has the opportunity, he's going back, and I think he'll be happier for that," Shastri told ABC Sport, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
"If you see where India have gone in the last five-six years, there's no doubt in absolutely anyone's mind that he's the driving force and the man behind it (India's success). So he obviously would be missed. But like I say, in adversity comes opportunity. There are lot of young guys in the side and it's an opportunity for them," he added.
Team India will also face Australia in three ODIs and as many T20Is during the tour Down Under. Kohli will captain the visitors in the white-ball series.
The three ODIs will be played from November 27 to December 2, while the T20I series will be held from December 4 to December 8.
