Kohli's side better than team with "big names”, says Shastri

Colombo: Newly appointed Team India coach Ravi Shastri reckons that the current Virat Kohli-led side is capable doing something which their predecessors couldn't.Speaking to mediapersons ahead of the second Test of the three-match rubber against hosts Sri Lanka, the 55-year-old said that Kohli has achieved far more than his teams of yesteryears which had also many big names."This Indian team has been with each other for two years and they are much more experienced now.

They have already done things that a lot of other Indian teams and a lot of big names couldn't do in their careers, for example, winning a series here in Sri Lanka (in 2015)," said Shastri.

"A lot of big (Indian) names have played for 20 years and they have come to Sri Lanka many times but they have never won a series.

This team has done that.This team is used to doing things that a lot of other (Indian) teams haven't done and that too overseas," the coach added.Shastri further showered praise on Kohli's leadership and said,"I think he is still young.I can see a very big difference from when he captained in his first Test to what he is now.I was there in Adelaide, when he captained in his first match and he is 27 Tests old now as captain.You can see a big difference.
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"You can see it in the body language that he has matured, and he will continue to mature and learn.For his age, he has done a lot (already) and there are signs that he can be right up there with the very best," added Shastri.The chief coach also said that the side under Kohli, which will be touring South Africa, England and Australia next year, will perform better than the previous times however, believing that the tours will be a tough one."When you say overseas tours like South Africa, England, etc.it is a lot of tough cricket coming up and I see it as an opportunity.I am very positive that this team can do things that probably no other Indian team has done," added he.

India will take on Sri Lanka here in the second test and will look to seal the series after registering a mammoth 304-run win over the host in the first Test of the three-match series.(UNI)