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Xtra Time Web Desk: As India's head coach, Ravi Shastri witnessed some major ups and few downs in his whole tenure. Shastri witnessed one of India's biggest achievements of Team India winning back to back in 2018-19 and 2020-21. On both the years, India won the Border- Gavaskar Trophy winning series 2-1.

"2019 was a tremendous series. And we had the feeling on that tour that if we start off well, there is a chance. If we get Australia early, then there is a great chance. And we won in Adelaide. Went all the way down to the wire. I think by 30-odd runs we won but that was great because then that belief was there,” Shastri said.

India won it's first Test against Australia in Adelaid by 31 runs before the rival team bounced back to defeat India in Perth by 147 runs. Team India witnessed a historic 137 run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the boxing day Test, when Ravi Shastri revealed that he took the 'biggest gamble' of his sting as India coach.

"Yes, we lost in Perth where the wicket suited their bowling, and they hammered us. Virat played an outstanding innings, one of the great hundreds you’ll see. And then came Melbourne… I think Jadeja had come back from injury, Ash was injured. So we had to pick another side altogether. 1-1 in the series, that was the biggest gamble for me in my tenure as coach. Our openers were struggling, so we said that putting them in for another Test will put them under immense pressure and give the opposition an upper hand,” Shastri further added.

"So we decided to go in with 2 new players. Mayank Agarwal… you know, he had just landed 3 days ago and I told him you will be playing. Just don’t think it’s Australia and think it’s another game and you are carrying that form. And Hanuma opened and did a very good job. He might not have got the volume of runs but as an opening batter you know how tough that session can be. He roughed it out there, saw the new ball through. Rest is history.”