Ravi Shastri: India should not take even one backwards step as series against Australia heats up

Australia and India clashes always have some spice to them, and RAVI SHASTRI has encouraged India to not back down after the fuse was lit in Adelaide.

When you are playing against the Aussies, there’s always chirp. It’s expected. There’s nothing wrong with it. I used to love it. I used to thrive on it. I always looked at it as something that will improve my vocabulary. I only saw the positives.

But whatever happened was always left on the field. It was never personal. It is never supposed to be made personal. That is the reason why I feel there was nothing wrong about what I saw transpire between Mohammad Siraj and Travis Head in Adelaide.

It was in the heat of the moment. It happens when you have elite athletes involved in a battle for supremacy and when such passions are involved. People do tend to lose their tempers. It’s just a part of sport, and not just cricket.

Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj in the middle of the Adelaide Oval. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

There have been so many controversial moments that have emerged from heated exchanges in the middle. Only for things to get settled. I’m sure Siraj and Head are mature individuals who will deal with it and the dust would have settled already.

If anything, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from a fast bowler after he’d been hit for a six. Siraj was letting off some steam. That’s the fast bowler’s temperament. You want it to be like that.

When I was playing, my philosophy was to give it back as good as you get. And it’s exactly what I would tell my players when I was coaching India in Australia. Do not hold back one bit. Do not take even one backward step. It then became the team’s philosophy and everyone from Virat Kohli to Rishabh Pant and every member of the squad was prepared to give it back to the Aussies.

I’d mentioned in my column before the second Test that you can expect the counterpunch from Australia, and they landed it squarely on India in Adelaide. That’s just how things play out between these two great rivals.

How good has the cricket been already though. And now the heat is on. Things will only get more intense from hereon. There’s a lot of cricket to be played in this series, and the series is perfectly poised at 1-1. Neither team can relax from this point on.

I was disappointed with India’s effort in the first innings, especially after they were 70/1 at one stage. They should have cashed in and capitalised and got to at least 275. That’ll be the big lesson for them, to realise the moment and seize it.

Ravi Shastri wants to see Rohit Sharma back at the top of the Indian batting order. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

What I’d like to see in Brisbane is for the captain to return to the top of the order. Opening the batting is where Rohit belongs. They might have tried having him in the middle in Adelaide but they have to immediately go back on that plan and instead push KL Rahul down the order. You need Rohit setting the tempo at the top. That’s his best position. I don’t mind Rishabh Pant coming at No 6 and letting Rahul bat at No 5.

The big positive for Australia in this Test was Rohit’s counterpart, Pat Cummins, coming to the fore and leading from the front. He upped the ante with all aspects of his bowling. Whether it was his aggression or his rhythm. Like I’d said after the Perth Test, the heavy workout in the heat on Day 3 there only helped him regain his rhythm and the spring in his stride.

While for India, they would have learnt that Jasprit Bumrah can’t always do it on his own.

And I was as concerned as anyone would be when I saw Jasprit in discomfort in the middle of an over. He’s the mainstay of the attack and the single bigger threat for Australia. The last thing India can afford is him in trouble.

I also think it’s time for them to bring Akash Deep into the side. Harshit Rana has had two Tests on the trot. But I think Deep can do the job that Scott Boland did so brilliantly for Australia in Adelaide. He’s similar pace and can bowl long spells, which is something you’ll need in Brisbane. He also is someone who hits the knee-roll consistently and is exactly the kind of bowler who could do well and provide Bumrah with the support he needs at the other end.

That’s my post-mortem of the second Test. My advice for India: like Australia left Perth behind and moved on, Rohit Sharma and his team will have to do the same from Adelaide. Move on, just like Head and Siraj will.