Ravi Shastri’s Top 3 performances across all formats

Indian cricket might have produced a lot of great batters and bowlers, but like any team, it had to struggle to find a player who could contribute in both facets of the game. Right now we are seeing a lot of all-rounders coming through the ranks in Indian cricket, but back in the 80’s and 90’s it was a rarity. After the likes of Kapil Dev India still needed another great all-rounder in the ranks and that is what they got in the form of Ravi Shastri.

We all know Ravi Shastri’s contribution as the Indian coach, but we can also not ignore his contributions as a player as well. Shastri was not only a flamboyant Southpaw batter but was a more than decent left-arm spinner as well. Shastri has played 230 international games in which he has scored over 6500 runs and taken 250+ wickets. We can easily say he is regarded as one of the best all-rounders India had ever produced in the era. Shastri has been involved in two of the biggest victories of India which had changed Indian cricket completely which is none other than the 1983 World Cup and the 1985 Benson and Hedges series.

So, here are the Top 3 best performances from Ravi Shastri in International cricket:

3. 5/15 vs Australia in 1991

This was a match where the Indian batters struggled to put up a good score against a strong Australian side. They could only manage a modest total of 208. Shastri could not give a great performance with the bat but made sure he made things difficult with his willy left-arm spin as his figures of 5/15 in 6.5 overs made sure he triggered a collapse and played a role in getting the Aussies bowled out for just 101 runs giving the Indians a massive victory in Perth.

2. 5/75 and 52 vs Pakistan in 1983

Performing against arch-rivals Pakistan is always going to be a big task for any Indian player, especially in a match where everything looked like falling apart. The Indians were struggling at 103-5 and it was once again Ravi Shastri who came to the rescue forming an important partnership with skipper Kapil Dev. His 52 from 143 deliveries made sure that the innings was saved from embarrassment and reached a total of 245. 

That was not all for Shastri though as he came back with the ball and made sure the Pakistan batters didn’t escape with a massive lead. His 5/75 made sure that the Indians had something to play for in the second innings. Though the match ended in a draw it still showed us the all-round prowess of Shastri.

1. 206 and 4/45 vs Australia in 1992

If you thought the match against Pakistan was one of Shastri’s best all-round performances, none of us were ready for the 3rd Test at Sydney in 1992. The Indians did well to restrict a strong Australian batting lineup to just 313 in the first innings. From here it was the Ravi Shastri show. This time Shastri opened the batting and played his best test innings ever. He went on to score a wonderful double hundred scoring 206 from 477 deliveries which included 17 fours and 2 massive sixes. 

This was enough to give his team a massive lead in the first innings as the Indians put up 483 on the board. Shastri came back to create havoc with the ball as well ending with figures of 4/45 and put the Aussies under pressure. Though in the end the match was saved by Alan Border, it still put a mighty fear in their hearts at the oval and it’s all thanks to Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri