If we look at his career stats, they dont stand with the best. Still the thing is that he is the man who started his career as a left arm spinner and stablished himself as a front line Batsman which is what we are looking at our current cricket players. We all know that he played like a champion and his royal look makes so many cricketers a little jealous :)
Tests
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
80 121 14 3830 206 35.79 11 12 36 0
ODI
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct
150 128 21 3108 109 29.04 4 18 40
Career statistics
Test debut
New Zealand v India at Wellington - Feb 21-25, 1981
scorecard Last Test
South Africa v India at Port Elizabeth - Dec 26-29, 1992
scorecardODI debut
India v England at Ahmedabad - Nov 25, 1981
scorecard Last ODI
South Africa v India at Durban - Dec 17, 1992
scorecard
First-class span
1979/80 - 1993/94
List A span
1980/81 - 1993/94
For over a decade, Ravi Shastri rendered yeoman service to Indian cricket in many ways. As an obdurate opening or middle-order batsman; as a left-arm spinner who was an integral part of the attack; and as long-time deputy to a couple of captains. In his time he was very much the glamour boy of Indian cricket, tall and good-looking and with an image to match. He had his detractors who charged that he batted too slowly, that he was selfish in his approach, that he continued to be in the team only because Gavaskar was captain. But the phlegmatic Shastri took all this in his stride, letting his performances on the field speak for themselves. In reality, as Shastri himself admitted, he was not particularly talented but had come up only through hard work.
Shastri might not have cut a dashing figure on the field as he pushed and prodded and grafted his way for runs and his bowling was little more than defensive as he pegged away on a good length without much variation. Of batsman who have played ten Test innings against Australia, only Eddie Paynter averages more than Shastri's 77.75. He was like Navjot Sidhu in reverse: he started off as a lower-order hitter, but ended up as the original stonewaller at the top of the order.
But no one could deny his immense value to the side, his commitment to the team's cause and his consistency had to be admired. He very rarely let the country down and was an excellent utility cricketer in the one-day game, good enough to win the coveted Champions of Champions title - and the Audi car that went with it - in the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985. Despite his image as a cricketer with a defensive outlook, Shastri could really have a go at the bowling - as he did while equalling Gary Sobers' world record of six sixes in an over in a Ranji Trophy game in January 1985. A deep thinker and a shrewd strategist, he led India to victory in the one Test he captained - against West Indies at Madras in 1987-88.
Amiable and distinguished, Shastri - who played his last Test aged just 30 - is now a popular and erudite TV commentator.
