Ravi Shastri: How Team India performed under veteran Mumbai cricketer when he was Team Director

Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri was announced as the replacement of Anil Kumble as Team India's new head coach, by BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committe (CAC), in Mumbai, today.

New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has been announced as the replacement of Anil Kumble as Team India's new head coach, by BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committe (CAC) as per reports circulating in the cricketing circuit. 

He remained as the front-runner for the prestigious post since the day he came forth to express his desire in applying for the job and today, Shastri is reported to have edged past five other candidates who were interviewed by CAC, to grab the opportunity to serve as India's new head coach till 2019 Cricket World Cup.

This will not be the first time that the 55-year-old will mentor the Men in Blue. Here is a timeline of Ravi Shastri's association with the Indian dressing room as a mentor...

As an interim coach in 2007

Back in 2007, Shastri was announced as the interim coach ahead of India's tour of Bangladesh. India then stood in complete disarray after the World Cup debacle in West Indies. But that was only until India found Gary Kirsten, under whom India had created a moment of history by clinching the cricket World Cup in 2011.

Appointed as the Team Director 

Shastri returned back to the dressing room in August 2014 when he was announced as India's new Team Director to complement the then coach Duncan Fletcher. India was had then suffered quite a few away blows with the most recent then being a home series defeat to England. The only highlight under Fletcher's mentorship was the India winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. 

Ravi Shastri, who had served as the Team Director for almost a span of two years, had a more-or-less successful run with the Men in Blue. He combined alongside newly-appointed assistants Sanjay Bangar, B Arun and R Sridhar to change the Indian cricketing scenario as far as away series were concerned.

During his span with the squad, India managed to reach the semi-final stage of the 2015 World Cup, but failed to retain the trophy as they suffered a crushing 95-run defeat to the eventual champion Australia. Soon after, Fletcher ended his association with the Men in Blue and it was all upto Shastri to guide the team forward.

During this time, India had won an away Test series against Sri Lanka, 2-1, but had a rather topsy-turvy series against the South Africans. The three-match T20I series had ended in a 1-1 draw with the final game being abandoned due to rain. With hopes still high, Virat Kohli and men headed for the ODI series, but failed to clinch victory as they went down 3-2. Shastri's boys, however, ended the month-long tour on a high after winning the Test series 3-0. 

Then came 2016. India kick-started the year plucking the right notes. They crumbled down the mighty Australians in a three-match T20 series in their own home ground to win a limited-overs bilateral series for the first time on Aussie soil. A few weeks later, India had even attained the No. 1 Test ranking after South Africa suffered 0-2 home series defeat to England, although for a mere eight weeks.

Men in Blue then clinched the Asia Cup held in February, defeating neighbour Bangladesh in pulsating final before crashing out in the semi-final round of the 2016 ICC World T20 Cup. That was it for Shastri as his tenure ended shortly after. 

In June, BCCI issued a statement calling for the applications for the post of Team India's head coach. Shastri was among front-runners for the post from 57 other applicants, alongside Anil Kumble. 

Regardless of all, Shastri had expressed sheer disappointment as Anil Kumble was announced as the Head Coach, back in June 2016.