Labelled a yes-man, Ravi Shastri was instead India’s everything-man

You remember when Anil Kumble hurriedly sent in his resignation as the head coach of the India team in 2017 following the displeasure of Virat Kohli. Uncomfortable with the spin wizard’s head-masterly way of working and his strict discipline, the skipper pined instead for Ravi Shastri, known for his pep-talks and his easy-going demeanour. Certain that the team could not function under an authoritarian regime under Kumble, Kohli took on the risk of going against the BCCI and pushed his wishes of bringing back Shastri, with whom he had worked after MS Dhoni stepped down from the Test captaincy in 2015.

Shastri’s appointment, thus, came with its extra set of scrutinising eyes. The commentator, who had famously called England “jealous” about India being world champions and who would often toe the line to defend BCCI’s reluctance to use the DRS back in 2011, was considered nothing more than an establishment man, a cheerleader. It was feared that the ‘yes-man’ would make the already-powerful Kohli even more powerful, with the skipper not shying from airing his ever-increasing wants in the future.

However, four years and a few months later, it might just have been the best decision taken by the captain, albeit off the field.

Shastri did and said what he wanted throughout

The 59-year-old shed his avatar of being a mere shadow of the BCCI by taking on a more hands-on approach as the coach of the senior India team. It involved being outspoken, fearless, and often a subject for trolls, who would already target Shastri for his love for a drink. He did not want to follow the BCCI’s mandate to have Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan as the batting and bowling coaches of the side in 2017, and he stuck by his decision. He pushed for little-known Bharat Arun as the bowling coach instead, a decision that further cast controversy over the monopolised decisions that were being taken by Shastri and Kohli.

He openly went after talented Rishabh Pant for playing loose shots and not respecting the game enough in 2019, instead of taking the usual path of shying away from taking digs in the public eye. Shastri went on to proclaim the redundancy of bilateral T20I series and the effects of the hectic schedule and the bio-bubble. He was not just looking after the mental health of his players with this statement but challenging the BCCI, something that would have been impossible to envisage a decade ago. Considering the Indian board’s power within the ICC, calling T20Is an added burden only displayed his no-hold-bars attitude, and his acknowledgment of the tough calendar was in stark contrast to the grim words that had been spoken by BCCI President Sourav Ganguly.

“I have played with players from all countries including England, West Indies, Australia. I believe Indian players are mentally stronger than foreign players and are also tolerant,” the left-hander had quipped.

Shastri did not agree. “Even the fittest will need a break. More than the physical part, it is the mental part. You can be destroyed mentally being asked to do the same thing day in and day out and then asked to perform.” He was done being apolitical, he was done being the commentator without a view, as ironic as it may sound.

But more importantly, as a coach, he understood the growing need to be a man-manager in the lives of cricketers who were away for months on end without their families. In an age when coaching techniques have become data-driven with in-depth tactical analysis, Shastri, who admitted that technical coaching was never his strength, became the big brother to every youngster who came to him with a worry. Never short of words, the Mumbaikar believed that players at the top level did not need micromanaging; they mostly just needed empathy and a kind word from time to time.

“My role is to prepare the guys in the best possible way to be able to go out there and play brave, positive, fearless cricket,” he had said in March 2020, and you get a glimpse of it when Shardul Thakur opens up about Shastri’s impact that propelled him to play his determined knock at Gabba this year. You get how he impacted the team when Kohli shared how a conversation with Shastri ahead of the 2018 tour to England encouraged him to shed the fear after the aftermath of 2014. You get how the zeal to not bow down inspired a youngster such as Mohammed Siraj to play the way he did in Australia, weeks after his father passed away, and you understand the mentality that he would have instilled by asking India to look at their 36 all out as a badge of honour that would push them towards bigger goals.

Shastri threatened the Australian government by stating India would not travel Down Under if families were not allowed last year due to their stringent Covid-19 protocols. All this, without informing the players of the developments in case they started fretting. He simplified things for the cricketers yet knew who would benefit more from a public dressing down. He didn’t hesitate to pull players out of their comfort zones while ensuring they weren’t out of it completely.

It is not that Shastri lacked a cricketing brain. He was the one who forced Ajinkya Rahahe to give the ball to R Ashwin in the first ten overs on a damp wicket in Melbourne, a move that paid dividends as the off-spinner grabbed 3-37 in the morning session, and he was the one who decided to eliminate the off-side for the Australians by making India attack with straighter balls against Steve Smith, Tim Paine, and Marnus Labuschagne during the recent series.

It’s just that his larger-than-life presence made bigger news, inspiring the side to live and play for each other’s success.

Where there is Shastri, there are memes, and the head coach never bid adieu to them as social media lapped up every cheeky comment with a grin. There was his “thodi der ke liye goti muh mei tha” (“balls were in my mouth for a while”) after the close series win against Australia in 2018/19, and his “mei nimbu paani piyu ya doodh, kya fark padta hai” (“if I drink lemonade or milk, what does it matter, people can laugh at my expense to ease the pain in their lives”) comment that signified how he never took life too seriously. But the most ‘hilarious’ one yet was how Shastri had called the team of 2018 as the best Indian Test team in 20 years after losing to England 1-4, which had led to plenty of criticism and ridicule.

Three years hence, he wasn’t all that wrong.

A larger-than-life presence, who might not have always got his decisions spot on as a coach, and can be blamed for the disaster of the 2019 World Cup where India went in with no settled No.4, will nonetheless be remembered for much more. His irrational backing of the team might seem arrogant on days when they failed, but that stubbornness led to a number of memorable wins. For all the tipsy jokes, the sober truth remains that Shastri the head coach leaves behind a rich legacy and a team of superstars who were unafraid to take on the world. He might have come on board under controversial circumstances, but he departs with contributions worth remembering. And for that, Indian cricket will forever be indebted.