“Felt like there was a bit too much bonhomie on the field in Nagpur”

Former India team manager Ravi Shastri has called on Australia to play aggressive cricket instead of being friendly on the pitch with the opposition. The 60-year-old has urged tourists to show his intent early on in the second Test in Delhi.

Australia are under massive pressure heading into the second Test after an innings loss in Nagpur. His batting unit collapsed to a total of 177 and 91 at VCA Stadium within three days against Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

In his column for The Age, Shastri noted how friendly the Australian team were in the first test and urged them to save it for the IPL.

“I would ask the Aussies to put their friends in the Indian Premier League behind them and save them for later. There seemed to be too much conviviality on the Nagpur pitch for my liking. I want to see that characteristically forceful Aussie intent.” stand out in Delhi,” she said.

The visitors face a must-win match at Arun Jaitley Stadium as a defeat would end their hopes of reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A win or draw in Delhi would also seal Australia’s place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which takes place in June.

“It’s a no-brainer” – Ravi Shastri on the inclusion of Mitchell Starc

Shastri also asked the visitors to draft Mitchell Starc into the starting XI, if he was fit, given his skills on the new ball, his ability to conjure up the reverse swing and create marks for the feet. The former SUV added:

“There is another potential upside with the news that Mitchell Starc could be fit to play in the second Test. If so, he has to play. It’s a no-brainer. He will be a threat with the new ball and then come back and be just as destructive with the reverse swing. There’s also the rudeness that he creates for Murphy and Nathan Lyon to get the most out of and therefore get them into the early game.”

The left-arm sprinter missed the first Test due to a finger injury sustained during the Boxing Day match against South Africa in December. The 32-year-old had hinted that he would play for Delhi.