This team has achieved more than the past teams: Ravi Shastri

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Colombo, August 1: India coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday (August 1) lauded the present bunch saying it has achieved more than the past teams that contained some big names.

"This Indian team has been with each other for two years and they are much more experienced now. They have already done things that a lot of other Indian teams and a lot of big names couldn't do in their careers, for example, winning a series here in Sri Lanka (in 2015)," Shastri said during a press meet.

India had clinched the series against Sri Lanka in 2015 and their series win in Lanka before that came in 1993 under Mohammed Azharuddin.

"A lot of big (Indian) names have played for 20 years and they have come to Sri Lanka many times but they have never won a series. This team has done that. This team is used to doing things that a lot of other (Indian) teams haven't done and that too overseas," Shastri said.

Shastri also praised Kohli's performance as captain. "I think he is still young. I can see a very big difference from when he captained in his first Test to what he is now. I was there in Adelaide, when he captained in his first match and he is 27 Tests old now as captain. You can see a big difference. You can see it in the body language that he has matured, and he will continue to mature and learn. For his age, he has done a lot and there are signs that he can be right up there with the very best," Shastri said.

India's upcoming foreign tours under Kohli's leadership will be against South Africa, England and Australia. Shastri saw those tours as a big opportunity. "When you say overseas tours like South Africa, England, etc. it is a lot of tough cricket coming up and I see it as an opportunity. I am very positive that this team can do things that probably no other Indian team has done," he said.

Asked about South Africa's tour, the former Indian captaian said" "I am not going to go as far ahead as South Africa tour. I live in the present. We are 1-0 up against Lanka. We want to keep that record intact and treat every game as a new game where the rules are the same. You go out to play your brand of cricket and you go out to win."

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