India ‘taking no prisoners’ against Australia, says Shastri

TIL Desk Sports/ India’s head coach Ravi Shastri says his side will take no prisoners in their upcoming Test series against Australia, who are still formidable opponents despite results going against them in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal.

The scandal, which occurred during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in March, resulted in year-long bans to former Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, with batsman Cameron Bancroft suspended for nine months.

Australia have struggled to recover from the crisis, losing a test series to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and being whitewashed 5-0 by England in a one-day international series in June. They also lost 2-1 to South Africa at home in an ODI series earlier this month.

Shastri, however, believes Australia will still be strong in the four-match series that starts next month and being deprived of key players will not weaken them significantly on home soil. “I always believe no team is weak at home,” Shastri, whose side have never won a Test series in Australia, told reporters, in Brisbane, on Sunday.