Ravi Shastri has removed fear of failure from Indian batsmen, says Sanjay Bangar

What's the story?

Hailing Ravi Shastri's influence on the current crop of top-tier Indian batsmen, the team's batting coach Sanjay Bangar has attributed the players' change in mindset to the head coach. The 45-year old also reiterated that Shastri has been responsible for removing the fear of failure from the Indian batsmen.

In a candid interview with The Hindu, Bangar affirmed, "It (The change) began under Ravi’s (Shastri) leadership. His influence on the batsmen’s mindsets has been very good. He has taken the fear of failure out of everybody. Players are willing to take risks, to come out of their comfort zone. Players are also taking responsibility, which is a great thing for a team which wants to leave a legacy behind."

The background

Shastri's journey with the current crop of top-tier Indian batsmen began when he was appointed Team Director from 2014 to 2016. When Duncan Fletcher's contract was not renewed at the end of the 2015 World Cup, the cricketer-turned-commentator retained full control of the support staff.

The heart of the matter

Following the infamous falling out between captain Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble, Shastri replaced the legendary leg-spinner as India's head coach in July. Since then, the team has won two Test series, four ODI series and three T20I series. All senior players have been quite effusive in highlighting the former all-rounder's positive influence on the dressing room.

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Bangar, who entered into Team India's coaching staff in 2014, continues to be in charge of the side's batting department. When asked about his approach towards handling the various batsmen in the setup, he stressed on the importance of building the strengths of each individual.

Terming Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane as 'classical' batsmen, Bangar alluded to the range of shots that the likes of KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan have at their disposal. He lauded Cheteshwar Pujara's ability to consistently amass runs square of the wicket and backed Kohli's dynamic style of batting. Apart from praising the elegant right-hander's capacity to pace his innings, he termed Rohit Sharma as India's most technically equipped batsman against the short ball.

What's next?

After opting out of their solitary warm-up match, the team management are closely working with the players to help them find their rhythm on the eve of the Test series against South Africa. The opening match of the 3-Test series will begin on January 5 at Cape Town.

Author's take

Shastri's uncomplicated approach towards coaching seems to be working wonders for the Indian players. However, tougher challenges loom in the horizon as they start a career-defining round of overseas tours. Meanwhile, Bangar's views on Rohit Sharma's remarkable skills against the short ball are spot on.