Ravi Shastri Stresses Need for India to Have Fast Start in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged the Indian cricket team to begin their Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign with a strong performance to recover from their recent home series defeat to New Zealand. India's unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against the Kiwis ended a 12-year unbeaten Test streak at home.

That loss significantly dented their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. With a spot in the WTC Final on the line, Shastri believes a fast start in the first two Tests against Australia will be crucial for India's chances.

"India will be smarting from that defeat in that series against New Zealand because they were caught unawares," Shastri said during The ICC Review. "They were a little complacent and they paid the price for it. But having said that, it's a very proud team, this Indian team. The best way to bounce back is to start another series in a good manner. So the first two Test matches become extremely crucial."

India's tour of Australia begins with the first Test in Perth on November 22. Shastri, who guided India to historic Test series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, emphasized the importance of channeling those successful memories.

"Think about the positives. Think about what you did in Australia last time around and take it ahead from there. Put what happened behind you," Shastri advised. India's previous success in Australia has often stemmed from making a strong early impression.

During their 2018-19 series, India secured their first-ever opening Test win in Australia, defeating the hosts by 31 runs in Adelaide, thanks to Cheteshwar Pujara's pivotal century. "They would be hurting and they'd like to get back on track ASAP," Shastri noted.

The 62-year-old also highlighted the role of head coach Gautam Gambhir and his team in maintaining players' mental readiness. "The most important thing will be to ensure that they start off well; they keep the players in a good state of mind. That will be the most important thing for the coach," Shastri said.

With India needing to win four of five Tests in Australia to secure a WTC Final berth, Shastri believes the batters could play a decisive role. "Some of the tracks in Australia when you get in are probably the best to bat," he said. "It will be totally different conditions, and they should capitalize on that."