Ravi Shastri says India's Brisbane follow-on celebrations fully justified

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri believes India were well within their rights to celebrate escaping the follow-on in Brisbane and can build on their effort as the Test series against Australia heads to Melbourne.

In Short

• Ravi Shastri says India's Gabba follow-on celebrations are fully justified
• Bumrah-Akash partnership helped India go past the follow-on mark
• Indian dressing room euphorically celebrated the moment on Tuesday

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes India's Brisbane follow-on celebrations were fully justified, and the tourists can use this achievement as a springboard as the Test series against Australia moves towards Melbourne. Shastri said that India's remarkable fightback on the final day of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane was a defining moment in the ongoing series.

The former Indian coach praised the team's resilience, particularly the efforts of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, who played pivotal roles in ensuring India avoided the follow-on in a crucial moment of the match. Speaking on The ICC Review with host Sanjana Ganesan, Ravi Shastri emphasised that the celebrations after India managed to escape the follow-on were fully justified, considering the context of the match and the series. "You should celebrate," Shastri said. "It required a lot of character from the last pair with 35-36 runs needed. That celebration showed, they knew the importance of that effort within the dressing room in the context of the series."

For Shastri, the fight to avoid the follow-on was not just about saving face-it was about setting the tone for the next Test. He explained that it could have been disastrous for India to go into the second innings behind by more than 200 runs, especially with a vulnerable batting order. "It's one thing following on, it's one thing then again being 2-3 down as opposed to, you going ahead and rattling the Australian top-order," Shastri remarked. "It is fully justified."

The former coach also drew parallels with another iconic moment in India's recent Test history-the unforgettable 89-run partnership between Bumrah and Mohammed Shami at Lord's during the 2021 England series, which turned the game on its head. "It reminded me of the celebration, when in COVID times, when Jasprit and Mohammed Shami were involved in a partnership at Lord's, which turned the game on its head," Shastri recalled. "England were odds on favourites on the final day to win the Test. And that partnership, I think of about 80 or 90, suddenly turned the game on its head and by the end of the day, India had won the Test match."

Shastri stressed that India's recent success in Test cricket has often been built on the tenacity and resilience of their tail-enders. From Bumrah and Shami's remarkable partnerships to the steadfast efforts of Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari in Sydney, India's lower order has often been the unsung hero in their fights. "When the tail-enders are stubborn, they fight it out there. It makes a massive difference," Shastri noted. "It did it on the last tour. When Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari batted the whole of the last session to save the game, going into the Gabba and then winning the series."

Such efforts provide a psychological lift for the team, and Shastri believes this fightback in Brisbane could play a crucial role as India prepares for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. "It'll lift the Indian team. And for me, the series is on a level peg now and India might just be calling the shots," Shastri said. With the series tied at 1-1, Shastri expressed optimism for India's prospects moving forward.

Reflecting on the challenging road India has already faced, Shastri acknowledged how significant the 1-1 scoreline is for the team. "Massive. They would give anything for a 1-1 result," he said, considering the difficulties of the early stages of the series, which included the fast, bouncy pitches of Perth and the challenges of Adelaide's day-night Test. "The first Test is in Perth, second Test is a day-nighter in Adelaide, and then the third Test in Brisbane. Any overseas team will, you know, settle for a 1-1 score because come Melbourne, come Sydney, I think India will be powerful."

Shastri expressed confidence in India's chances in Melbourne, despite the close call in Brisbane. "They've been kept in this series single-handedly by Jasprit Bumrah," he said. "If the big boys wake up, and step up to the plate which I just get the gut feeling they will, then Australia has a problem on their hands." With India heading into the Boxing Day Test with renewed belief, Shastri added, "Yeah, they got out of jail but they are not on bail. They are free birds in Melbourne. They can do what they want and come and attack Australia on Boxing Day."