India competed hard but couldn’t complete matches, rues Ravi Shastri

For Ravi Shastri, 2018 hasn’t been a memorable year as far as Test cricket is concerned. The head coach of the Indian team has been making charged-up remarks ahead of each series but eventually, has found his team at the receiving end. After losing against South Africa 1-2 in January, India suffered yet another debacle in England, losing the Test series with a game to spare.

Two days ahead of the final Test at the Oval, the 56-year-old former Indian all-rounder said in a press conference in London that India competed hard in the five-match series which they currently trail 1-3 but they failed to complete the matches and it is high time they start doing so.

India were in the driver’s seat in at least two Tests that they lost – at Edgbaston and Ageas Bowl – but couldn’t convert the advantage into a win. They lost the two matches by 31 and 60 runs, respectively. India were annihilated by an innings and 159 runs in the second Test at Lord’s while they won the third Test at Trent Bridge by 203 runs.

“We have run teams close overseas and we have competed but it is not about just competing. We got to complete games from here. Endeavour is to learn, understand where you made mistakes. Take it head on try and correct it,” Shastri said while talking to the media ahead of the final Test.

Fourth Test lost hurts more than that in first

According to Shastri, the loss in Southampton would hurt more than the one in Birmingham since the tourists were in charge of the game at various points.

“At Edgbaston, it could have gone either way. We had our share of luck as well because at one time England were in the driver’s seat. We managed to come back. We were chasing the game there all the time. But here, this would hurt more because you were ahead of them. And there was a stage you could have been really ahead of game after the job the bowlers did on day one,” he said.

India had England on the ropes in the second innings in Birmingham at 87 for 7 and in the first innings in Southampton at 86 for 6 but on both occasions, young all-rounder Sam Curran chipped with determined half centuries to bail them out.

Speaking on India’s weak points, Shastri said the shot selection is one of the major concerns that the Indian batsmen needed to work on. India crossed 300-run mark only twice in eight innings in this series.

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