Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran heaped rich praise on Team India head coach Ravi Shastri, saying that always makes sure that his players feel good and remain positive, even if the team loses.
BCCI recently announced the 20-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship final and the five-Test series against England post that. Apart from the main squad, the governing body also named four standby players for the tour.
Abhimanyu Easwaran was the only batsman who found a place in the list of standby players for the England tour. The 25-year-old however, had earlier been in Team India’s bio-bubble during the four-Test series against England at home.
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During an interview with SportsKeeda, the young Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran said that when Team India lost the first Test against England, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri kept the positivity in the dressing room and always keeps motivating players.
“He kept the positivity intact in the dressing room. We lost the first Test and still, when we came for practice the next day, he made sure everyone was feeling good and that positivity could be seen in everyone. He always keeps motivating the players, makes sure everybody stays positive,” Abhimanyu Easwaran told Sportskeeda.
Easwaran said that Ravi Shastri chats with players before they start hitting nets which motivates them which boosts confidence for newcomers.
“Anyone who comes to the nets, he will just chat with you for a couple of minutes that motivates you a lot. So, for guys like us who were part of the Indian team for the first time, that really boosted our confidence,” he said.
Easwaran revealed that everybody in the dressing room was sad and angry after losing the first Test match against England at home but also confident about winning the series.
“The mindset of the Indian cricket team is pretty amazing at the moment. Because losing the first Test match against England at home was a big thing, everybody was a little sad about it, there was anger in everybody because we lost at home. But everybody was trying to win the series and they were pretty confident they would do it,” he said.
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Abhimanyu Easwaran further said that belief was there in the Indian contingent and the way they played in the next three matches shows what makes India a champion team.
“So that belief was there, and just to see that belief in all the players and the support staff was great to see and the way we played in the next three Test matches shows what makes a champion team – even if they lose the first Test, it doesn’t really matter, how they come back is more important,” he concluded.
The biggest challenge now awaits Virat Kohli and Co. when they tour England for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and then the five-Test series against hosts. Team India will enter the bio-bubble on 25th May here in India to prepare for the upcoming tour.
(Sportskeeda inputs)
