New Delhi: Ravi Shastri is convinced that the class of India’s 1985 team could have troubled even the current side team led by Virat Kohli.
Shastri’s feat
Ravi Shastri was the key man back in 1985 when the team under Sunil Gavaskar won the World Championship of Cricket. He was hero of India’s triumph in Australia. He also won the famous Audi car for being the ‘player of the tournament’.
Shastri is now the head coach of the Indian cricket team. He has played a significant role in the team’s ascendancy in world cricket across all formats.
“No question about that. They (team of 85) will give any team that India put up in white ball cricket, a run for their money. That team of 85 will give this team a run for money,” Shastri said during ‘Sony Ten Pit Stop’ show on channel’s FB page.
Better team
Shastri also has a firm belief that that the team of 1985 was qualitatively better than the side that won the 1983 World Cup. This is because the 1985 side was a perfect blend of youth and experience.
“I go one step ahead and say the team of 1985 was a stronger team compared to 1983. You know, I was part of both teams, I played in the 1983 World Cup. and also in 1985. When you look man to man, 80 per cent of that 1983 team were still there, but then then some of the youngsters had come in. Cricketers like (Laxman) Sivaramakrishnan, Sadanand Vishwanath, (Mohammed) Azharuddin. Those guys came in, to add to the experience you already had of 83 (and it) was fantastic,” Shahstri pointed out.
‘Fantastic feeling’
Shastri said that winning Test series in Australia in 2018-19 for the first time in 71 years was special. However, when it came to white ball cricket, 1985 is special.
“It is great to be part of those two teams. As a coach that series in Australia, is going to be very special and hard to beat. Not a single Indian team have been able to beat Australia in Australia in 71 years,” Shastri said.
“There have been plenty who have gone there (Australia), tried their best. Everyone knows how tough it is to beat Australia in Australia in Test match cricket. But then in 1985, I was a player. So you can’t that feeling. To win both is fantastic,” stated the Indian coach.
Imitating Kapil dev
Shastri then shared a hilarious anecdote about a team meeting before the final against Pakistan in 1985.
Shastri imitated what Kapil Dev said in his typical English.
“Kapil said, ‘if I win car, I keep 25 per cent (by selling) and rest share. Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath) came and (said) ‘Yaar jisko mila mila’ (whoever gets it, gets it). When my turn came, I said, ‘if I win it, I am keeping the car and I can only share the stepney’,” Shastri said in typical tongue-in-cheek manner.
PTI