World Cup 2015; Give Indian fast bowlers the bloody credit, says Ravi Shastri

A lot was said and written about the team's dismal performance in the tri-series preceding the World Cup. What do you have to say about this stunning turnaround?
The beauty is that I don't read. And I don't hear. I just know what my team will do. Right? So, the bottom line was that they needed a break. They were mentally drained after a really gruelling Test series. It (the week-long break between the tri-series and the warm-up games prior to the World Cup) made a massive difference.

How important was it to regroup after the tri-nation series? What was your message to the boys?
You know it (the passion and desire to do well) was there. It was just mental tiredness, nothing else. You knew that once the break was given, their mind would be off cricket. And they came back refreshed. Then, they came really hard at the opposition (in the first three matches). The message (given to the boys) was to 'play aggressive cricket', 'play freely' and 'express yourself' in a carnival like the World Cup.

You have always spoken about the 'attitude' and the mental 'framework' of the boys. You have also said that it's not always important to look at the results. Instead, it's about the process. And if the processes are in place, the results will follow…
See, I don't read what you guys write, but from what I hear from people here, they have not seen an Indian team like this in a very long time in a Test series. So, you should ask them why. (Ask them) what did this team do different from the ones in the past. When the average age is just 24-25 and the (little) experience they have, they obviously must have done something to win the admiration of the Australian public and the crowd. Obviously, (looking) at the way they played, they took the attack to the opposition. And like I keep saying, a little bit of luck with the scoreline and it should have been 1-1 (instead of 0-2).

You have also spoken about the approach and the aggressive nature of their cricket. That was reflected in the way they went about chasing nearly 350 runs on the final day of a Test match. In terms of approach, that was a first of sorts in a long time…
When you have that kind of approach, I mean, we want to play in that kind of fashion. You know you might lose some matches, but down the line you will win more than you lose. If you have that kind of approach where you are fearless and not afraid of losing, (you are bound to succeed). You are out there to compete and try to win. And in trying to win, if you lose, there is nothing wrong in it.

The bowlers have copped a lot of criticism. We are sure you have worked a lot on them, especially the spinners. Someone like R Ashwin is looking like a changed bowler. What are the things you have worked on?
I think Ashwin has bowled beautifully. He has varied his pace nicely. He has done an attacking job in the middle (overs) where we need to take wickets. And that's been extremely handy. Having said that, our fast bowlers don't get the credit they deserve. If the opposition had three fast bowlers bowling at over 140 kph and in this fashion, our media would be raving about them. But when our guys do it, we put our tail between the legs and just shut up. That's a fact. We don't like to admit it. It's our guys doing it. Give them the bloody credit. It (credit) doesn't come that easily, unfortunately, from our guys (in the media). Yes, when the opposition has three guys bowling past our nose and has our team jumping about, they are great.

You have seen such things in your career. But it must be heartening to see…
(Interrupts excitedly) Of course it's heartening to see other guys jump around. It's always heartening. I feel proud as an Indian if our bowlers can do that on a consistent basis.

India will take on the West Indies this Friday. There is a lot of talk about Chris Gayle. As one of the main strategists of the team, what's your take on him?
It's just another game. We take one opposition at a time. We don't think too far ahead. We don't go too far back into the past either. What's happened has happened. It's (going to be) a new day, a new game and (you have got to) approach it in the same fashion like you approached the previous games. It's as simple as that.

Does a player like Gayle intimidate the opposition?
(We) don't think (like that). Before this game, you would have asked if AB de Villiers was intimidating. Before that, you would have asked me if the whole Pakistan side was intimidating. It's another team, the West Indies. We will play them.

World Cup campaign
You have just got to keep the momentum going. If the results are the same, then it will be very good.

A new generation of batsmen is taking over. You have always loved to work with young guys. And you have always believed in promoting young talent. Are you happy to see them really firing?
Yes, it's very refreshing to see their approach, their attitude, and the way they gel as a unit. And they are a great bunch.