Indian cricket team’s head coach Ravi Shastri on Monday said that India’s maiden Test series win in Australia is a big achievement than the 1983 World Cup victory. For the uninitiated, India clinched their maiden Test series on Australian soil in 70 odd years. “I will tell you how satisfying this is for me. World Cup 1983, World Championship 1985...this is as big or even bigger because this is in the truest format of the game, that is Test cricket,” Shastri said during a press conference after the Sydney Test.

The Indian head coach, who replaced Anil Kumble in 2017, went on to said that he salutes Virat Kohli for leading his team to victory. "Past is history, future is a mystery. We have won today after 71 years and I'd like to live in the present. And salute my captain for being the captain of the team that beat Australia for the first time in Australia in a series," Shastri said. Team India’s Celebration Featuring Virat Kohli’s Nagin Dance With Bharat Army is Going Viral, Watch Video

"I don't think anyone plays Test cricket with more passion than he does. At least I don't see any other international captain coming close to him on the field when it comes to showing that passion needed to play the game," he added.

Shastri further said that Kohli is “very expressive and has “different personalities than other captains”. He also admitted that, “entire team watches him and they want to emulate him.” Indian Cricket Team Scripts History, Registers First Ever Test Series Win in Australia.

According to Shastri, the current Indian team is “confident, about their own ability and the ability of the team as well” and “it's made all the difference," the coach said.

After the Tests, India will now take on Australia in the three-match One-Day Internationals (ODI) series, starting on January 12 in Sydney. Following the completion of Australia tour, India will travel to New Zealand for limited-overs fixtures.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2019 02:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).