India head coach Ravi Shastri hails 'best-ever' pace attack
"It's a conscious effort from this side to be the best travelling side in the world. Not just at home - we know we will thrash teams at home. We want to go elsewhere and win"
Saturday 25 August 2018 06:20, UK
India head coach Ravi Shastri hailed his side's "clinical performance" in their third Test win over England, highlighting their pace attack as the country's best ever "by a mile".
India clinched a convincing 203-run win on the fifth morning at Trent Bridge to stay alive in the five-match series, trailing 2-1 going into the fourth Test at The Ageas Bowl next week.
India's seam bowlers accounted for 19 of England's 20 wickets, with Hardik Pandya (5-28) claiming a maiden Test five-for to bundle the hosts out for 161 in the first innings, and Jasprit Bumrah starring with 5-85 in the second.
Asked by Sky Sports Cricket's Michael Atherton whether this was India's best-ever pace attack, Shastri's response was emphatic.
"By a mile," Shastri stressed. "And the bench strength; two of the most potent, best bowlers for English conditions would be Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar - we didn't have either of them available right the way through the one-day series and the first two Tests till Bumrah played here.
"But they've played as a unit. You've got Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, and Umesh Yadav in the reserves, who is bowling beautifully. They can all come into play at any time.
"I don't know what they're eating. But it's something different, that's for sure.
"If you want to compete overseas, you've got to have the ability to take 20 wickets. The team realise now that they've got a potent pace attack. And to help the fast bowlers, you've got to hold your catches.
"They played magnificently, as a batting unit, as a bowling unit and above all as a catching unit."
Despite trailing in the series, and coming into the third Test off the back of an innings-and-159-run hammering at Lord's, Shastri says the team's belief did not once waver, with their focus is on becoming the best travelling side in the world.
"We knew we were very close to beating England, in spite of the results, 2-0," said Shastri. "I said at the press conference that there wasn't a negative bone in their body, and I mean it.
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"What we demanded of the boys was accountability. We came out here to try and win this Test match, and it's about applying yourself and executing your plans in the best possible way.
"You can't ask for more. In the years I've been doing this job, on overseas tours, I've not seen a more clinical performance. Sometimes you have the bowlers doing extremely well, or a couple of batters, but to have an all-round performance like this where you catch well, you bowl well, and bat well is very rare. Hats off to the guys.
"It's a conscious effort from this side to be the best travelling side in the world. Not just at home - we know we will thrash teams at home. There is no chance for opposition when they come to India, if we prepare tracks that suit us, but we want to go elsewhere and win."
Leading from the front in that mission is captain Virat Kohli, who has answered his critics following a poor tour of England in 2014 with 440 runs, including two hundreds, from the first three Tests - 234 runs clear of the next-best run-scorer in Jonny Bairstow.
Sky Sports Cricket's David Lloyd says Kohli is the "best player to come out of India", with Shastri adding that his preparation is "second to none", better even than the great Sachin Tendulkar.
"He's very passionate about the game," Shastri said on Kohli. "He loves batting, loves to do the hard yards. His work ethic is second to none.
"I've not seen any cricketer like it - and I'll put Tendulkar in that bracket - when it comes to preparation, the way he visualises situations, the way he goes about his planning.
"His ability to stay in the present, and not go too far ahead. These are great qualities in any human being, and he takes them out with him when he goes out onto the field.
"And I promise you, he has forgotten these innings' now. He'll take guard as it he hasn't got a run in this series in the next Test."
Watch the fourth Test between England and India from 10am on Thursday, August 30 on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event.
