Coach Shastri backs Indian team despite Test series loss to England; says they have been the best travelling side in last 15 to 20 years
India head coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli at Lordu00c3u0083u00c2u0083u00c3u0082u00c2u00a2u00c3u0083u00c2u0082u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0083u00c2u0082u00c3u0082u00c2u0099s last month. Pic/AFP
India have lost the Test series in England but coach Ravi Shastri insists that the current lot is travelling better than the teams of the last 15 to 20 years. India lost by 60 runs in the fourth Test at Southampton to go 1-3 down in the five-match series.
"As hard as our guys tried, England were one-up on us. Nothing to take away [from them], the endeavour of this team is to travel well, compete and win. If you look at the last three years, we have won nine matches overseas and three series [against West Indies and twice in Sri Lanka]," said Shastri here yesterday.
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"I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15 to 20 years that has had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series. So the promise is there, and it's just about getting tougher mentally. "It has to hurt when you lose matches because that's when you look within and come out with the right kind of answers to combat such situations and get past the finish line.
One day, you will if you believe," said Shastri. The head coach underlined the need to grow mentally tougher in order to cross the finishing line and win Test series in overseas conditions, something Virat Kohli had stressed on after the loss at Southampton.
"You have got to get tough mentally. We have come close to winning overseas. But now, it's not about competing [any longer]. We have to win games from here on. The endeavour is to understand where you made the mistakes, take it head on and try to correct it.
"The scoreline says 1-3, which means India have lost the series. What the scoreline doesn't say is that India could have been 3-1 or it could have been 2-2, and my team knows it. "They would have been hurt and rightly so after the last game. But this is a team that will not throw in the towel," he said ahead of the fifth and final Test starting here tomorrow.
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