Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri was announced as the coach of the Indian team for the fourth time on Friday, beating five other candidates to get a two-year extension to his tenure.
Shastri’s first stint was back in 2007 against Bangladesh as India were still coming to terms with their shock early exit from the World Cup that year. The 57-year-old was appointed for a second time as a team director between 2014-’16, during which India reached the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup.
After the acrimonious fallout between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble in 2017, Shastri took over following India’s loss in the final of the Champions Trophy to Pakistan. Unlike his second term, which yielded mixed results, Shastri had a stupendous run in limited-overs cricket. Away from home, India won their first-ever Test series in Australia. However, there were away series defeats against South Africa and England.
India’s 2019 World Cup run ended in defeat in the semi-finals against New Zealand but it must be noted that Shastri’s side won seven group-stage games out of eight. Here’s an overview of his tenure over the last two years.
Ravi Shastri's overall record
| Format | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws | Tie | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 21 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 63 | 45 | 15 | – | 2 | 1 |
| T20Is | 37 | 25 | 11 | – | – | 1 |
In Tests, Shastri’s crowning glory, as mentioned earlier, was India’s first-ever series win Down Under. However, India’s struggles in South Africa and England continued, despite winning a Test each in the respective countries. A win on a capricious wicket in Johannesburg in a dead rubber, deserves special praise.
At home, Virat Kohli and Co continued to build on the good work from the Anil Kumble regime with series wins over Sri Lanka and West Indies. Sandwiched between those victories was a cruise against Afghanistan, which was also their induction into five-day cricket.
Following are India’s results since Shastri took over in 2017:
Tests
India beat Sri Lanka 3-0 (3)
India beat Sri Lanka 1-0 (3)
India lost to South Africa 2-1 (3)
India beat Afghanistan 1-0 (1)
India lost to England 4-1 (5)
India beat West Indies 2-0 (2)
India beat Australia 2-1 (4)
Barring blips against Australia at home and England, India enjoyed a good run in ODI cricket. There were huge wins in Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa. They were champions of the Asia Cup. In the recently-concluded World Cup, India had a good run, just like 2015, winning seven games but losing to England and New Zealand.
ODI series
India beat West Indies (3-1) in five-match series
India beat Sri Lanka (5-0) in five-match series
India beat Australia (4-1) in five-match series
India beat New Zealand (2-1) in three-match series
India beat Sri Lanka (2-1) in three-match series
India beat South Africa (5-1) in six-match series
India lost to England (2-1) in three-match series
Asia Cup – Champions
India beat West Indies (3-1) in five-match series
India beat Australia (2-1) in three-match series
India beat New Zealand (4-1) in five-match series
India lost to Australia (2-3) in five-match series
World Cup: W 7 L 2 NR 1
India beat West Indies (2-0) in three-match series
Shastri’s record in the T20Is was solid with wins in the Asia Cup and the Nidahas Trophy. An unblemished run was finally stopped by Australia before the World Cup.
T20I series
India beat West Indies 1-0 (1)
India beat South Africa 2-1 in three-match series
Nidahas Trophy – Champions
India beat Ireland 2-0 in two-match series
India beat England 2-1 in three-match series
India beat West Indies 3-0 in three-match series
India drew with Australia 1-1 in three-match series
India beat New Zealand 2-1 in three-match series
India lost to Australia 2-0 in two-match series
India beat West Indies 3-0 in three-match series
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