For Shaz, life begins at 60

One would imagine that the fire in Ravi Shastrirsquos belly would have been doused with him not being in the Team India setup for seven months now Ask him for a confirmation and he comes up with a no followed by ldquoIt is inbuilt It always stays Come and try to douse the firerdquo while talking on Middayrsquos Mumbai Cricket Podcast with Clayton MurzelloFor the former India captain and head coach who turns 60 today ldquolife is just startingrdquo and though there is no wish list he says ldquothere is enough in the basketrdquoRavi Shastri was asked on Middayrsquos Mumbai Cricket Podcast with Clayton Murzello as to what comes to the fore when he thinks about his cricket careermdashcoaching or playing He said ldquoCoaching career because when you played you had a bat and ball You could control a lot of things but when you are a coach once the boys are out on the field there is nothing in your handsrdquoVirat Kohli and Ravi ShastrilsquoYou never stop learningrsquoThe coaching role may have not completed his cricketing education because he is a firm believer that one doesnrsquot stop learning in the sport but he said the stint gave him ldquoa deep understanding on man management and understanding of individualsrdquo The modern levels of fitness struck him and he had no hesitation in saying that ldquoin our day and age sometimes you think that if you had devoted 50 per cent in that direction it could have meant another 30 40 50 Test matchesrdquoShastri began his association with Team India when he took over as Team Director on the 2014 tour of England Since then he did two stints as head coach in between Anil Kumblersquos tenure before his contract ran out at the end of the T20 World Cup The obvious high point was winning the Brisbane Test of 2021 which gave India their second consecutive Test series Down Under but Shastri also pointed to the two Test triumphs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 201819 and 202021 BorderGavaskar Trophy editions Asked about why the coachcaptain alliance between him and Virat Kohli worked well Shastri felt it was the ldquosimilar aggressive mindset when it came to playing the game and wanting to winrdquo60 is your lsquocenturyrsquoGoing by what Shastri told midday close to his 50th birthday in 2012 him turning 60 is like reaching a century ldquoSomeone asked me what will you do for your 50th birthday and I said lsquojust knock one into the gap quietly take a single because you have had enough 50s as a player and make sure you lift your elbow 50 times instead of the bat In life the hundred is when you turn 60 Hopefully you reach there and when you do one must celebrate it like a hundredrdquo he said back then