Ravi Shastri recalls India’s ‘60 overs of hell’ and Gabba win under Kohli-Rahane

As India prepare for their much-anticipated Test series against England, set to commence on June 20 at Leeds, former head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri has reflected on a defining era of Indian cricket under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

“That team had guts, fire, and the belief that they could conquer anything, anywhere. Whether it was breaching Fortress Gabba or unleashing `60 overs of hell` at Lord`s, they did not just play cricket, they made a statement. This series captures what went on behind the scenes: the hunger, the preparation, and the emotional highs and lows. It is a story every Indian cricket fan should relive because that was not just a team, it was a movement,” Shastri reminisced.

In a nostalgic build-up to the series, a special three-part docuseries titled `Bharat Tum Chale Chalo – Kahani 2021-22 Ki was launched with an aim to revisit India’s gripping 2021-22 Test campaign in England, where they led 2-1 under Kohli before the fifth Test was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. When the rescheduled Test took place in July 2022 under stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, India fell short, ending the series in a 2-2 draw.

Under Kohli’s captaincy, India played 68 Tests and won 40, making him the most successful Test captain in Indian history. In his absence during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ajinkya Rahane famously led an injury-ravaged side to a historic 2-1 series win, including the memorable victory at The Gabba, Australia’s stronghold for over three decades.

The upcoming series also heralds a new era for Team India, with Shubman Gill taking over the reins as Test captain following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from red-ball cricket, and spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away from all international formats. This series also marks the beginning of India’s new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

India`s Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

(With ANI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day