Former India Head coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri continues to be one of the most prominent figures in the sport. His lively presence on the mic and commanding presence while presenting match discussions and performing the coin toss is adored by fans around the globe. The veteran has been in charge of conducting the toss for the five-Test series between India and England.In an interesting clip, Shastri dove into to-do tasks and intricacies of how to do the ‘perfect’ coin toss. Speaking to Ian Ward about how he approaches coin tosses, the 63-year-old walked from the Lord’s Long Room to the wicket to perform the ceremonial duties for the third Test between England & India.Explaining the process, Shastri said, “Less (preparation you do) the better, because otherwise, if you do too much you might just miss the real thing out there in the middle. I would ask them (the captains) about the pitch. I’ll be very interested to see the decision on winning the toss. Both captains wanted to field in the last game.”He then went on to explain that “It’s crazy. You’ve got to hear the producer very clearly, because when the countdown begins for the toss, you’ve got to be ready. They’ll (captains) exchange sheets, mention what their XI and combination is, and then take it from there.” Shastri outlined how focused he needs to be ahead of crucial matches, especially if it is an IPL or World Cup fixture, naming the atmosphere as ‘crazy’.
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Which aspect of Ravi Shastri’s presentation do you enjoy the most?
As far as tosses go, England won the toss ahead of the 3rd Test and surprisingly opted to bat. This marked a rare tactical decision from the hosts, who have only done so once before in the 12 home Tests in which they’ve won the toss in the ‘Bazball’ era. After batting first, England were bowled out for 387 in 112.3 overs. In the first and second Test matches as well, Shubman Gill did not win the toss.
