I wanted to make a difference and I think I have: Outgoing India coach Ravi Shastri

Ravi
Shastri
bids
goodbye:
Here’s
his
coaching
records,
success
and
failures

India’s
final
match
of
the
tournament
is
Shastri’s
last
match
in
charge,
as
he
hands
the
reigns
over
to
Rahul
Dravid.
Despite
the
lack
of
ICC
trophies
under
Virat
Kohli,
Shastri
is
one
of
India’s
highly
successful
coaches
and
has
taken
Indian
cricket
to
major
milestones.

Ahead
of
the
start
of
India’s
match
against
Namibia,
speaking
to
the
official
broadcaster
Star
Sports
about
his
time
with
the
team
as
head
coach,
Shastri
said,
“I
think
it’s
been
fantastic.
When
I
took
this
job,
I
said
in
my
mind
that
I
want
to
make
a
difference.
And
I
think
I
have.
Sometimes
in
life,
it’s
not
about
all
you
accomplish,
it’s
about
what
you
overcome.
And
what
these
guys
have
overcome
in
the
last
5
years,
the
way
they’ve
performed
in
all
corners
of
the
world
in
all
formats,
will
make
this
one
of
the
greatest
teams
in
the
history
of
the
game.
I’ve
no
doubt
about
that.”

In
his
tenure
as
coach
while
the
he
has
faced
a
lot
of
criticism,
the
team
has
achieved
plenty
as
well.
Talking
about
the
high
points,
Shastri
said,
“Plenty
across
all
formats,
but
winning
in
red-ball
cricket
across
the
globe,
to
go
and
beat
all
these
sides.
Then
every
team
in
white-ball
cricket,
whether
T20
or
50
overs,
we’ve
beaten
sides
in
their
den.
We
were
always
labelled
bullies
at
home,
but
this
team
has
shown
that
(up).”

Talking
about
the
way
ahead
for
the
Indian
side
and
his
successor,
Shastri
said,
“I
think
in
Rahul
Dravid
they’ve
got
a
guy
who
has
inherited
a
great
team
and
with
his
stature
and
experience
it
can
only
raise
the
bar.
Virat
has
done
a
fantastic
job
as
leader
of
the
side,
one
of
the
best
ambassadors
of
Test
cricket.
A
lot
of
credit
goes
to
him.”

India
failed
to
make
it
to
the
semifinals
of
this
editions
T20
World
Cup
and
the
outgoing
coach
believes
rest
is
key,
the
side
needed
a
break
between
IPL
and
World
Cup.
“Rest.
I
am
mentally
drained
but
I
expect
that
at
my
age.
These
guys
are
physically
and
mentally
drained.
We
would
have
liked
a
bigger
gap
between
IPL
and
this.
Six
months
in
a
bubble
is
tough.
Not
an
excuse,
we
are
not
scared
of
losing
–
in
trying
to
win
you
will
lose
a
game.
Here
the
x
factor
was
missing,”
signed
off
Shastri.

In
their
final
match
of
the
tournament,
skipper
Kohli
won
the
toss
and
opted
to
bowl
first
at
the
Dubai
International
Stadium.