Ravi Shastri. (Source – Fox Cricket)
There have been a bunch of series which have been played between Australia and India in the past. However, the forthcoming one Down Under has a multi-layered buildup when it comes to the stakes involved. With what has gone down in the past few series and considering the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, the series is bound to deliver loads of adrenaline-charged moments.
Former India cricketer, Ravi Shastri, in a recent discussion, elaborated on the strategy, mainly psychological, that the Indian team would have to employ on coming out on top on foreign soil.
“I think the only way (embracing the hype and the media). There’s no other way you can play. You’re not going to get an inch. If you don’t want to give an inch, you’ve got to embrace it. You’ve got to embrace the culture, you’ve got to understand very early what to expect from the media as well. You know, because they’ll be behind the Australian team. If you can get your boys to get out there and play as hard as it gets, you know, be ready for some tough cricket and perform, the media will respect you,” shared Shastri, while speaking on Fox Cricket.
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Whoever has upper hand after first two Tests will dominate the series: Shastri
When asked for a specific prediction, Shastri came up with an intriguing projection.
“I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. It’s the first two Test matches because both teams as Michael (Vaughan) mentioned, can win that first Test match in Perth and the following one, the day-night game. Whoever has upper hand after first two Tests will dominate the series,” he added.
Interestingly, the previous two tours which India have made for the BGT have gone their way (2018/19 and 2020/21). However, with the recent setback off which India are making their way into the series, it will be fascinating to see how they recover from t he thumping series whitewash against New Zealand.