Shastri defends Kohli, lauds Team India's performance

Indian team director Ravi Shastri waseffusivein praise of under-fire star batsman Virat Kohli, whose lukewarm performances in the recently concluded Cricket World Cup 2015 has been subject to criticism from some quarters. Defending the Indian vice-captain, Shastri said the flamboyant batsman never let his personal life affect his on-field performance and that his workethicwas as good as any he had seen.

"If it was so (personal life affecting performance), Virat wouldn't have got 700 runs and smashed four centuries in Tests in Australia," Shastri said. "His work ethic is as good as any I have seen. His heart beats for India. It's a pedigree you don't see often. And to tell you the truth, he isn't a finished article yet," Shastri said.

Shastri went on to say that Kohli's turnaround since his disastrous tour of England, where he averaged 13.4 in five Tests, had been exceptional. "He showed that it's not the size of the dog in fight that matters, it's the fight in the dog that counts," he said.

Shastri's assessments are in sync with those of Rahul Dravid who a day earlier said that barring a minor blip, Kohli's performance in Australia had been nothing short of sensational. "We have short memory. He (Kohli) did play his absolute best at the Test matches. In fact, he was sensational," Dravid said. "I cannot think of an Indian batsman who had come to Australia and played as well as Virat Kohli in the Test matches. We did see his absolute best. Unfortunately we didn't see it the other night (in the semifinal defeat to Australia). But that's part and parcel of the sports," the former Indian captain said.

Shastri said losing the toss in the semi-final hurt the side but acknowledged that Australia were 'the best side in the tournament'. He also had words of praise for Indian skipper MS Dhoni and said that the wicket-keeper will only get better from here on. "He would only get better now that he has retired from Test cricket. He would be fitter and would have time to work on his batting. He would still have a lot of time to torture bowlers around the world," he said.

Speaking about Steven Smith, who added a century in the semi-final to go with the 770 runs he scored against India in the Test series, Shastri said that the young Australian batsman had no apparent weaknesses in his game. "A lot of teams asked me for weakness in his game. They asked we (Indians) ought to know since we have been here for four months. My answer always was: 'let me know his weakness in case you find it'. He has tremendous hand-eye co-ordination, a very sharp cricketing brain and he invariably finds gaps in the field," Shastri explained.

India's bowling attack that picked up 70 wickets in seven games en-route the semi-final drew much praise from the pundits during the World Cup, something that Shastri seconded. "The Indian medium-pace trio was as good as any in this competition. How many times you see a Hashim Amla and a Younis Khan ducking into a short ball and fending a catch to fielders inside a circle? They bowled with the mindset of a fast bowler," Shastri said.

"Ravichandran Ashwin bowled superbly as well. His variation of pace was the key to his show. They (the bowlers) are young, fit and hungry. They are ambitious. People don't realise this tour of Australia has done their confidence a world of good. It would keep them, and India, in good stead."