Ravi Shastri arranged for a karaoke night after 36 all-outs in the Adelaide Test: Ravichandran Ashwin. (Source – Twitter/X)
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 looming on the horizon, it is hard not to think about the infamous match of the series when the Indian team was bundled out for a meagre total of 36 runs in Adelaide in 2020. After the 36-all-out, India suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Australia.
However, India approached the rest of the series with confidence and ended up winning the series. Recently, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came forward and talked about how former India head coach Ravi Shastri increased the team’s morale after the 36-all out innings.
“We were not thinking about a series win because we were just bowled out for 36. The mood in the dressing room was a bit own. Ravi Bhai organised a team dinner. He arranged for karaoke, he started singing. He sang old Hindi songs. Everybody joined in. We were in a bubble, Virat was also getting ready to return,” Ashwin told Vimal Kumar in an interaction on the latter’s YouTube channel.
Wanted to do well in the next Test in Melbourne: Ashwin
“We were just focussing on doing well in the next Test in Melbourne. We kept small targets,” he added.
It is worth noting that the then-head coach Ravi Shastri was one of the most important figures behind India’s win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21. Despite not having the likes of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, India bounced back in the second Test, levelling the series and eventually winning the series 2-1, after the historic win at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Also Read: Ravi Shastri predicts Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 outcome
For the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, team India will travel to Australia for the upcoming marquee series. Both sides will lock horns in the first Test in Perth from November 22, and Australia will be keen on putting in a good showing, considering that they have lost the last two series to a travelling Indian team.
On the other hand, with upcoming Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is hard at work preparing to face Australia.