“Walk Out With Your Heads High”: Ravi Shastri to Team India

India came in to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as one of the favorites and played like favorites, until the semi-finals. India playing the semi-final over two days, on virtue rain, but couldn’t force a positive result. India’s exit from the World Cup did not go well with many of the fans and the media. The team’s head coach, Ravi Shastri though, was in full appraisal of the Indian cricket team.

?Walk out with your heads held high. Be proud. Those 30 minutes can?t erase the fact that you guys have been the best team in the last couple of years. You guys know it. One tournament, one series ? and that, too, 30 minutes of play can?t decide that. You guys have earned that respect. Of course, we are all hurt and disappointed but, in the end, be proud of what you have done for the last two years,? Shastri said speaking to the Indian Express.

He also added that the loss would be disappointing after playing so well in the build-up to it. “When you have played good and tough cricket for the last 30 months, this loss in the semi-final would hurt. It?s a tough pill to swallow and we are all gutted, but this is sport. That?s why we play it,” he said.

India have been a dominant limited overs side over the last few years and were hardly beaten in many bi-lateral series during the last couple of years. They also showed that dominance when they started the World Cup campaign. They topped the table in the league stage. However, come the knock-out stage, the team couldn’t replicate the kind of form they would have wanted to. Of course, the middle order, the captaincy or even the rain could be blamed for India’s loss, but they have been a champion side and one loss cannot take away all the things that have been achieved before that, which is what Ravi Shastri reiterated.

“Hurting, obviously. Disappointed, yes, but no tears. This is a tough team. A magnificent team. Look at how we bowled. The way the batsmen batted. A couple of youngsters might come in the middle and make this even more stronger. It?s a team on the right path they know it,” Shastri said.