There is a lot of excitement around India’s upcoming Test tour of Australia. The two teams are slated to square off in a five-match Test series, starting November 22 in Perth.
India have won the last two Test series Down Under, while they have held onto the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy since March 2017. However, the situation is a lot different this time around as they are coming into the series on the back of a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home.
With barely a few days remaining for the BGT, former head coach Ravi Shastri has highlighted the importance of India starting strongly against Australia.
According to Shastri, the Rohit Sharma-led side was unprepared for New Zealand's challenge and paid the price for it. The loss against the Kiwis marked the end of India’s remarkable streak of 18 consecutive Test series victories on home soil.
"India will be smarting from that defeat in that series against New Zealand because they were caught unawares. They were a little complacent and they paid the price for it. But having said that, it's a very proud team, this Indian team," Shastri told The ICC Review.
"They would be hurting and they'd like to get back on track ASAP. The best way to bounce back from such a series, is (to) start off another series in a good manner, so the first two Test matches become extremely crucial going ahead," he added.
Shastri emphasized the role of India's coaching staff, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, in ensuring the players are mentally ready for the gruelling five-Test series.
"The most important thing will be to ensure that they start off well; they keep the players in a good state of mind. That will be the most important thing for the coach," he said.
Ravi Shastri, who was the coach of the Indian team that won the two successive Test series Down Under in 2018/19 and 2020/21, asked the team to draw inspiration from their past triumphs.
"It's playing on their mind, confidence-wise. You can't go to the negatives. Think about the positives. Think about what you did in Australia last time around and take it ahead from there. Put what (has) happened behind you. These are different conditions and some of the tracks in Australia when you get in are probably the best to bat," he remarked.
Shastri acknowledged the change in conditions but remained confident about the team's chances in the upcoming series. "I think it will be totally different, the conditions when they get out there," he stated.
