BGT 2024-25: "It's justified.." Ravi Shastri on India's celebration after avoiding follow-on in Gabba test

Ravi Shastri has given his opinion on the celebration from Gautam Gambhir and co. after India avoided the follow-on in Brisbane.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has the celebrations in the Indian dressing room following the avoidance of follow-on in the Gabba test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 totally “justified”.

“You should celebrate,” Shastri said staunchly on the ICC Review when queried what did he make of India’s celebrations that got some criticism as well.

In reply to Australia’s first innings total of 445 in Brisbane, India found themselves in huge trouble at 213/9 with 33 runs more needed to avoid the follow-on. The last-wicket pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep cautiously helped the side avoid the follow-on in the last minutes of day 4.

In a game that was marred significantly by rain, avoiding the follow-on meant a loss for India was pretty much out of equation and from thereon a draw was very much inevitable.

As Akash Deep struck a boundary that took India over the follow-on mark, the players and coaches in the dressing room cheered, high-fived and celebrated with big smiles on their faces.

Reflecting on those moments, Shastri said, “It required a lot of character from the last pair with 35-36 runs needed. That celebration showed, they knew the importance of that effort within the dressing room in the context of the series.”

Ravi Shastri opined that had India conceded the follow-on, they could have lost early wickets in their second innings.

“It’s one thing following on, it’s one thing then again being 2-3 down as opposed to, you going ahead and rattling the Australian top-order. It is fully justified,” Shastri added.

I think India are powerful in Melbourne and Sydney: Ravi Shastri

The series remains locked at 1-1 after three tests with the next two tests slated for Melbourne and Sydney. Shastri feels India would be the happier team with this scoreline and backs the Asian side to do well at the MCG and SCG.

“Massive. They would give anything for a 1-1 result. The first Test is in Perth, second Test is a day-nighter in Adelaide, and then the third Test in Brisbane. Any overseas team will, you know, settle for a 1-1 score because come Melbourne, come Sydney, I think India will be powerful,” Ravi Shastri asserted.

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