“Ravi Shastri suggests India may have lost grip on Border Gavaskar Trophy, says ‘two seniors and a youngster’ under scrutiny”

Ravi Shastri, former coach of India, suggested that India may have lost its grip on the Border Gavaskar Trophy following poor shot selection on either side of the middle session on Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test. Without naming names, he stated that the dismissals of “two senior players and a youngster” would come under scrutiny, adding that “it doesn’t help when one of them is the struggling captain.”

Shastri also commented on the performances of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant, who have faced criticism for their contributions in the fourth Test, which India lost, leaving Australia with a 2-1 advantage ahead of the final Test. The Sydney Test begins on January 3.

Writing for The Daily Telegraph in Sydney, Shastri observed: “It was incredible to see Indian crowds who traveled from all over the world to witness Test cricket at its best at the ‘G.’ Unfortunately, some poor shot selection during the middle session on the final day cost India the game, likely meaning India has lost its grip on the Border Gavaskar Trophy with just one Test left.”

Shastri also remarked that India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, fell short in comparison to Pat Cummins, who had elevated his game to a level of “8 or 9.” He added, “There will be several second-innings dismissals involving two senior players and a youngster that will be scrutinised. Three very loose shots. It doesn’t help when one of them is the captain, who is struggling. It also doesn’t help when Cummins is raising his game while his counterpart is at the opposite end of the scale.”