Despite achieving number one spot in ICC Test ranking, Virat Kohli and his side have not been able to remove their “poor travellers” tag. However, India coach Ravi Shastri feels it’s unfair to pick on one particular side when most of the nations have fared poorly in overseas tours.

In the ongoing year, India have already lost two overseas Test series — one to South Africa by 1-2 and one to England 1-4. India’s tour to Australia is Virat Kohli’s another chance to set the poor overseas record straight.

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When Ravi Shastri was asked how important it was for India to win the series in Australia, he said: “You have got to learn from your mistakes. When you go overseas and when you look at teams that travel around now, there aren’t too many sides (that travel well).”

“Australia did for some time in the 90s and during the turn of century. South Africa did it for a while and other than these two,in the last five-six years, you tell me which team has travelled well. Why pick on India?” Shastri questioned.

Talking about India’s last two overseas defeats, Ravi Shastri said it was all about “seizing big moments”.

“We have spoken about seizing the big moments. If you look at the Test matches, the scoreline really doesn’t tell you the real story. There were some real tight Test matches and we lost some big moments badly, which cost us the series at the end of it,” Shastri said.

“It could have been an hour in a session over four days whether it was SA or England. Either as a batsman or a bowler and see what happens after that,” the coach said in his team’s defence.

Shastri, however, also refused to believe that Australia had lost their aura after the ball-tampering scandal that rocked the cricket world earlier this year.

“I don’t think so. I think once you have a sporting culture in you, you will always have that. I have always believed that no team is weak at home. We might have three or four players not playing when a team comes to India God forbid but if anyone thinks it’s a weak team, you will be surprised,” he said.

“Similarly, we are taking no prisoners and we want to go out and put our best foot forward, focussing on our game rather than focussing outside,” Shastri added.

Ravi Shastri also said Indian bowlers would enjoy bowling in Down Under pitches. Shastri also said India would miss the services of all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

“I think they (pacers) should enjoy bowling on these pitches if it’s like the pitches we have seen in the past. It’s important to stay fit as a unit.”

“One player we will miss is Hardik Pandya, who has had an injury. He gave us that balance as a bowler as well as batsman, which allowed us to play that extra bowler. Even now we have got to think twice. Hopefully, he will get fit soon and if fast bowlers do well, we might not miss him then,” Shastri added.