Former India head coach Ravi Shastri lauded India’s fightback during the third Test in Brisbane, calling the team's efforts to avoid a follow-on a defining moment of the series against Australia. Speaking on The ICC Review with host Sanjana Ganesan, Shastri highlighted the significance of the achievement and its potential to provide momentum for the upcoming Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Shastri singled out Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep for their critical contributions, emphasizing the character and resilience shown by the team’s tail-enders. He stressed that the celebrations following the escape from the follow-on were not merely emotional but strategically vital for the team. "It required a lot of character from the last pair. That celebration showed they understood the importance of that effort in the context of the series," he explained.
The former coach drew parallels with India’s 2021 Lord’s Test victory, where an 89-run partnership between Bumrah and Mohammed Shami flipped the game against England. According to Shastri, these moments underscore the importance of contributions from the lower order. "When tail-enders are stubborn and fight it out, it makes a massive difference," he said, referencing similar heroics from Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari during India’s 2020-21 series in Australia.
Shastri emphasized that avoiding the follow-on was pivotal to salvage pride and set a competitive tone for the remainder of the series. He noted that the psychological boost gained from such resilience can tilt the scales in favor of the visiting side. "It’ll lift the Indian team. For me, the series is on a level peg now, and India might just be calling the shots," he asserted.
With the series tied 1-1, Shastri expressed optimism for India’s chances in Melbourne. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the fast, bouncy pitches in Perth and the day-night Test in Adelaide but believed India had the upper hand going into Melbourne and Sydney. "Come Melbourne, come Sydney, I think India will be powerful," he said, projecting confidence in the team’s ability to adapt and excel.
Shastri credited Jasprit Bumrah’s consistent brilliance for keeping India competitive in the series but suggested that contributions from senior players could decisively shift the balance. "If the big boys wake up and step up, Australia has a problem on their hands," he said. He added that the escape in Brisbane was not just survival but a release of pressure that allows India to approach the Boxing Day Test with aggression and freedom. "They are free birds in Melbourne. They can do what they want and attack Australia on Boxing Day," Shastri concluded, signaling India’s intent to seize control of the series.
