"After this series, I am sure bowlers will learn and we can go places", said Shastri in Canberra on Tuesday.
India's team director Ravi Shastri has defended India's bowlers after the team surrendered the 5-match ODI series against Australia by losing the third game in Melbourne, failing to defend 295.
"After this series, I am sure bowlers will learn and we can go places", said Shastri in Canberra on Tuesday.
"In Australia, nothing comes easy. It's one of the hardest places to play, you are playing against the world champions. Yes, (we are) disappointed at the result because we could have pulled one back, especially in Melbourne, but then Australia played well," stated Shastri.
Meanwhile, even as the likes of Barinder Sran and Manish Pandey go through a trial by fire in just their debut series, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels there is nothing unfair about putting them up against a rampaging Australia as the team needs a "brave" bunch of youngsters going forward.
Related Read: MS Dhoni got it wrong: India must reinvent their ODI batting to win in the modern era
The youngsters have not quite made a resounding impact but by Dhoni's own admission, it is too early to judge them on performance.
Sran has been decent in his three outings so far, bagging three wickets in the process. Pandey came in to bat at 276/4 with four overs left in the Brisbane ODI. Despite his IPL showings, he is not a slam-bang cricketer and yet had to go for it, managing 6 runs off 5 balls in the end. "If you are getting a chance to play for your country, irrespective of the situation, it isn't unfair. As captain that's what you have to communicate to these youngsters," said Dhoni on Monday in Melbourne, the venue of the third ODI.
"There is a lot of scrutiny and players who tend to bat at nos 5 or 6, they tend to think of surviving till the end and show off as if they are hitting, remain not out in the end and are happy with it. That's not the kind of culture you want in the team," he added.
Dhoni said the exposure so far may not be a clear indication of their talent but their character is certainly revealed. "When it comes to these youngsters, Pandey in the last game and today with Mann and Dhawan, there was no hesitation of playing a big shot. When you play tough games, it gives you more experience than playing just a normal ODI. This is what has happened with them.
"You can't really judge their performances because they have only batted 12 to 15 balls. But you can judge their character based on those few deliveries. That is something you have to encourage, and at the end of the day the captain and the selectors have to look at that specifically. Because it tells you a lot about the character of these individuals, and you want brave people in the side," said the Indian captain.
"Winning and losing keeps happening, but you want good characters in the side," the skipper added.
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