That was a bitter pill to swallow and hurt one and all: Ravi Shastri on India's WC semi-final loss

India had a terrible heartbreak on July 11 when they lost the split semi-final of the ICC World Cup to runners-up New Zealand by 18 runs. After having won seven of their eight league games, Virat Kohli’s side looked favorites to make the finals but they faltered at Old Trafford. But Team India was quick to put the disappointment behind and steadied the ship after the World Cup. Since that defeat against the Black Caps, India have lost just two T20Is while winning seven Tests, six T20Is and two ODIs.

A big credit for allowing the team not to slide mentally in this period goes to head coach Ravi Shastri. The 57-year-old, who is currently serving his second term in the position, has thrown light on what convinced him that the current Indian team could be world-beaters. Following India’s thumping 2-0 win over Bangladesh in Tests recently, Shastri also spoke on issues like MS Dhoni’s future, talents like Rishabh Pant and the rise of Sourav Ganguly to become the chief of the BCCI in India.

According to Shastri, the departure from the World Cup was a bitter pill to swallow and he praised the players for not allowing disappointment to consume them after the dream shattered.

“For me, the intensity shown by this team is fabulous. The way they have bounced back after those 15 minutes in Manchester. That was a bitter pill to swallow and hurt one and all. But then, the ferocity and intensity they have shown after that in the last three months is unbelievable. This is remarkable and that is why I say if you look back 5-6 years, this will have to be one of the most consistent Indian teams ever across all formats,” said Ravi Shastri as quoted by Hindustan Times.

On MS Dhoni, Ravi Shastri wants all to wait till IPL 2020

On the future of Dhoni, the ace player whose future still remains undecided, Shastri advised all to wait till the Indian Premier League 2020. According to him, it will be clear from his performance in the IPL whether he will be in the Indian squad that will take the flight to Australia for the T20 World Cup next October.

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