5 Indian cricketers who could have been a better coach than Ravi Shastri

One of the highest paid coaches in international cricket at the moment, Ravi Shastri is under the scanner after India’s poor performances in the ongoing tour of England. Though they have won the Twenty20 series, they lost the ODI series 2-1. They are also trailing the Test series 3-1 at the moment and in bad shape to lose the fifth Test as well.

Some of his team selections and aggressive comments in the press conference did not go well with the fans and former Indian cricketers. Former players like Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, and Sourav Ganguly have lashed out at Ravi Shastri for his attitude and behavior.

Talking to a TV channel, Ganguly pointed out that "while Virat Kohli is owning up to the team's defeat, coach Ravi Shastri is talking in a different tune and belittling past Indian teams when questioned about the team's performance".

Responding to Shastri’s comments that the current Indian team is the best touring squad in the last 15-20 years, Gavaskar told India Today, “What I can say is that teams in the 1980's have won in England and West Indies. Rahul Dravid also won series in West Indies in 2005, in England in 2007 and captained when India beat South Africa for the first time (in South Africa)“.

Indian fans are beginning to raise their voice against Ravi Shastri and wants BCCI to sack him right after the England series.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 Indian cricketers who could have been a better coach than Ravi Shastri.

#5 VVS Laxman

Laxman is doing a great job with SRH

VVS Laxman is one of the most successful batsmen to have represented India in Test cricket. He has led Team India to some of the most memorable wins in Test match cricket, particularly against Australia.

VVS Laxman was the coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad that finished runner-up in the Indian Premier League 2018. Even without their star batsmen and captain, David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad played well under the mentorship of VVS Laxman. VVS Laxman has done a pretty good job with a young SRH team and took them to the finals.

Though Laxman hasn’t coached in international cricket, he possesses a great cricketing brain and is also one of the most respected cricketers. He enjoyed a lot of success as a batsman in overseas conditions and that could certainly help the current Indian players.

#4 Virender Sehwag

Sehwag could have been a better choice for India

The Delhi batsman is one of the most aggressive cricketers India has ever produced. Virender Sehwag always loves to be aggressive, not just with his batting, but with his overall approach. Sehwag has scored more than 17,000 runs in international cricket and has destroyed some of the best bowlers in the world.

Virender Sehwag was a mentor for Kings XI Punjab during the 2018 Indian Premier League and installed a positive environment within the team, which was clearly evident from their approach. Though he lacks exposure to coaching in the international arena, he could have been a better choice than Ravi Shastri.

#3 Anil Kumble

Kumble had a great career as the head of Team India, though it lasted only 12 months

Anil Kumble is one of the most disciplined and committed individuals in Indian cricket. The former Indian leg-spinner was appointed by BCCI as the coach of Team India in 2016. However, Kumble resigned as the head coach of the Indian team in less than 12 months after their defeat against Pakistan in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The relationship between Kohli and Kumble deteriorated and that led to his resignation.

India hasn’t lost a single Test or ODI series under the watch of Anil Kumble, except the Champions Trophy. Though a majority of the games were played at home, the team looked solid and determined. Kumble hasn’t done anything wrong and was hugely successful as a coach. He definitely deserves a second chance and BCCI has to sort out the issues between him and Kohli.

#2 Zaheer Khan

Zaheer has great abilities as a mentor

The 39-year-old former Indian seamer is one of the most successful Indian fast bowlers of all-time. Zaheer Khan has picked up more than 600 international wickets and led the Indian pace attack for almost a decade. Even when he was a player, Zaheer Khan has mentored his fellow bowlers and was a true leader.

Zaheer Khan has played 92 Tests and 200 One Day Internationals for India. He is one of the most experienced cricketers who understand the demands of modern day game. Zaheer could make a lot of difference as a coach and his expertise will certainly help the team as a whole. He certainly could have done a better job than Ravi Shastri.

#1 Rahul Dravid

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup - India v Papua New Guinea

A proven cricketer and a coach, the former Indian batting stalwart could have done wonders as the head coach of Team India. One of the most accomplished batsmen of our generation, Rahul Dravid has scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and One Day Internationals. He has played some of the greatest knocks of all-time in Tests and a few of them came in the toughest of overseas conditions.

Rahul Dravid was the mastermind behind India’s under-19 World Cup success in Australia earlier this year. They were absolutely phenomenal in the tournament and defeated Australia in the finals to win the title. A technically gifted cricketer, Rahul Dravid could be a close to perfect candidate to take up the job of Indian coach.