Ind vs Aus: No shame, it's a learning process: Ravi Shastri to bowlers

Canberra: Putting the onus on Indian bowlers to stop Australia's winning juggernaut in the five-match ODI series, Team Director Ravi Shastri yesterday said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side can certainly arrest the slide if the inexperienced bowling line-up learns from its mistakes.


Ravi Shastri

Having already lost the series after three successive defeats, the visitors will be playing for pride when they take field at the Manuka Oval in the fourth ODI here today.

"If they learn from their mistakes they will stop it, yes," Shastri told reporters when asked if the bowling attack is good enough to prevent a whitewash. Shastri though was critical of the inconsistent bowling attack in the last three games.

"They will be disappointed, there is no doubt about that because to win a game one or two bowlers can't do the job. You need to bowl as a unit. The reason why we did well at the World Cup last year was we had all the five bowlers firing," said Shastri.

Indian pace bowler Barinder Sran bowls during a practice session in Canberra yesterday. Pic:AP/PTI

If India were outplayed in the first two games, then the visitors did give Australia a hard time in the third match, which they lost by three wickets. Shastri defended his boys' performance.

"There is absolutely no shame in the way they have played despite recent results. Because I know there is only one way to go after this tour of Australia and that's going up. I know what happened 12 months ago after the Test series and I know where we stand today as far as the Test team is concerned," said the former India all-rounder.

"I see no reason why after this series am sure the bowlers will learn and we can go places. So disappointed yes because lets be fair we could have pulled one back especially in Melbourne. But it didn't happen and Australia played well.

"To apply finishing touch in close games, we need to bowl better and be consistent as a bowling unit," he added.