Ravi Shastri’s record book: Here’s how India fared in all three formats

India’s unceremonious exit from the T20 World Cup 2021 marks the end of two important phases in Indian cricket. First, Virat Kohli will no longer lead the nation in the 20-over format. And second, Ravi Shastri shall no longer call the shots as India’s head coach. Under the guidance of their new head coach, Rahul Dravid, the Indian team is set to cherish another glorious period of cricketing domination. But before that, it is fitting to relive Shastri’s tenure as the Indian head coach.

Tests

(Played – 43, Won – 25, Lost – 13, Drawn – 5, Win % – 58)

Appointed as the head coach following India’s loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2017 final, Shastri’s first assignment was the away tour of Sri Lanka. The visitors not only recorded a clean sweep but did so in a dominant style. The margin of victories were – 304 runs (1st Test), Innings and 53 runs (2nd Test) and Innings and 171 runs (3rd Test). The golden era in the longest format began with such a forceful display.

India played a total of six Test series at home in the Shastri coaching period. They lost none of them. In fact, of the 15 Tests contested on the home soil, Kohli’s men lost only one Test match. While Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were the weaker Test nations to arrive, India took down South Africa and England for a good measure.

Must Watch: A stirring speech to sign off as the #TeamIndia Head Coach 👏 👏

Here’s a snippet from @RaviShastriOfc‘s team address in the dressing room, reflecting on the team’s journey in the last few years. 👍 👍 #T20WorldCup #INDvNAM

Watch 🎥 🔽https://t.co/x05bg0dLKH pic.twitter.com/IlUIVxg6wp

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 9, 2021

The away phase throws light on India’s gutsy character when taken out of their comfort zone. India featured in a total of seven away Test series from July 2017 and they did not return home without at least a win in each of them except one (Lost 0-2 to New Zealand, 2020). They reached their zenith in Australia where they defeated the hosts twice in successive tours, becoming the only Asian country to win a Test series down under. India had to cop a 1-2 loss against South Africa and 1-4 against England before achieving the glory.

The loss to New Zealand in the World Test Championship final will hurt but the fact that India had topped the table cannot be forgotten. The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj made their Test debuts during this phase. A core team comprising of these players combined with Rohit Sharma, the opener, and Virat Kohli, the captain, is set to India to an even higher pedestal.

ODIs

(Played – 76, Won – 51, Lost – 22, Tied/No result – 2/1, Win % – 67)

India won two-third of their ODIs played under Ravi Shastri as head coach. With the triumvirate of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan piling up the runs, the Men in Blue became a formidable force in the limited-overs format. Much like Test cricket, their home domination was evident in this format. India lost only one ODI series at home during this period (2-3 against Australia, 2019).

Outside India, the team conjured up a few memorable series wins. They defeated Sri Lanka 5-0 (2017), followed it up with a 5-1 victory over South Africa and later humbled the Black Caps to a 4-1 series loss in their own backyard. There were three away series losses in total (1-2 vs England, 0-3 vs New Zealand and 1-2 vs Australia).

The pinnacle of ODI cricket is the World Cup and India suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Kiwis in the semi-final stage. Amongst other multi-nation tournaments, India were unbeaten in the 2018 Asia Cup and claimed the title comfortably. To speak of Shastri’s failings, the inability to find a suitable number four batsman in the ODIs haunted the Indian team in the lead-up to the World Cup. The inability in addressing that issue in time will be a blot on Shastri’s ODI report card.

T20Is

(Played – 65, Won – 45, Lost – 18, No result – 2, Win % – 69)

The Indian captain has been a vocal supporter of the longest format with the 20-over format gaining credence around the globe, India played in 65 T20Is under Shastri’s watch. In total, they played in 20 bilateral series and participated in two multi-nation tournaments (Nidahas Trophy and T20 World Cup). Of those 20 series, India won 15. They lost only two of those bilaterals (0-2 Australia, 2019 and 1-2 New Zealand, 2019) while the remaining competitions ended in a draw.

India’s most impressive away T20I series victories were in South Africa (2-1), England (2-1) and New Zealand (5-0). At home, they registered three clean sweeps which came against Sri Lanka (twice) and West Indies. India also clinched the Nidahas Trophy with Dinesh Karthik playing a heroic knock in the death overs. The T20 World Cup 2021 provided Shastri and Team India a perfect opportunity to end on a high.

However, the campaign ended in a disaster. India lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two matches and their chances of progressing were almost over. While there were many factors that caused the ouster, India’s inconsistent team selection and lack of a T20-focussed batting approach also contributed to their exit. As a head coach, some of the blame must be shared by Shastri.

Legacy

It is undeniable that under Ravi Shastri as head coach, India became a formidable Test side that could defeat any opponent in their own den. Particularly in Test cricket, winning away from home conditions has been a strenuous task. Since Shastri took over, no country has won more away Tests than India. Together, the team management formed a pace bowling pool that the nation never had the luxury of boasting. The team also backed and nurtured the talents like Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur amongst others. No ICC trophies and mishandling of spinners in limited-overs cricket will be two areas that Rahul Dravid and co will have to improve upon.