IND vs ENG | Boys did extremely well to not get distracted by Ravi Shastri news, exclaims Vikram Rathour
Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour has said that after Ravi Shastri tested positive for Covid-19, the Indian players did really well not to get distracted in the ongoing Test. He further credited Shastri and Bharat Arun for the team’s success over the last five years.
The Test series between India and England is at a crucial stage with both teams having won a game apiece. With Ravi Shastri testing positive for COVID, the news could not have come at a worse time. India started Day 3 trailing the hosts and it would have been understandable if there was a drop off in their performance after the news broke. However, none of that came to pass as India racked up a huge second innings score and Rathour appreciated the players for their focus.
“We are here for this series, it is an extremely important series that we are playing, and on Sunday when we came in the morning, it was an extremely important day for us, to focus on cricket. So I think the boys did extremely well to not get distracted,” explained Rathour, reported PTI.
India’s head coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for Covid-19 in the lateral flow test on Sunday. As a precautionary measure, he along with three members of the coaching staff have been kept in isolation. Indian batsmen played some excellent cricket on Sunday with Rohit Sharma scoring his first Test century overseas. Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur, and Rishabh Pant also played vital roles by scoring half-centuries.
Commenting on the impact of the incident on the game, Vikram Rathour said that there was a bit of distraction in the morning but then they had a chat among themselves and decided to focus on the game.
“But this is what it is. That’s the fact that they are not here. So it was in the morning, I think, a bit of distraction. We had a word, we spoke and decided that we need to focus on what is in hand, which is cricket,” revealed Rathour.
“There was a potential that we can be distracted from the situation that happened last night, but a lot of credit goes to the boys, the way they handled themselves and the way we played as a team.”
Vikram Rathour also revealed that the medical team decided to go for a test because the head coach was in a bit of discomfort.
“I would not know the exact time, but it was last night around 8. He was having a little bit of discomfort Saturday, so the medical team decided to go for a lateral-pro test and it came positive. That is when we heard that he is positive and I think the close contacts were identified and isolated, so we will wait for the medical team on when they can join back,” he stated.
With the coaching staff in isolation, the team was missing their presence. Talking about the incident and how much the team missed the guidance of the head coach, Rathour said that they have played a huge role in the set up of the team and we are missing them.
“Of course, we are missing them massively. Ravi Bhai (Ravi Shastri), B Arun, and R Shridar, they have been an extremely important part of this set-up and they have done extremely well in the last five-six years and played a major role in the team doing well,” Rathour concluded.