Shastri appointed as India head coach

Ravi Shastri has been appointed coach of the India cricket team, with Zaheer Khan chosen as the bowling coach and Rahul Dravid was selected as a batting consultant for all overseas tours.

Shastri, who is a former India allrounder who had played in 80 Tests, takes over from Anil Kumble who resigned last month after the Champions Trophy saying that his relationship with captain Virat Kohli had become “untenable”.

The now 55-year-old Shastri beat out four other candidates, including Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput, for the post.

The 38-year-old Zaheer, who played his final Test in 2014, is a left-arm seamer who captured 311 wickets in 92 games in the longest format while he also captained the Delhi Daredevils in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).

Shastri along with Zaheer have signed contracts that will take them up until the 2019 World Cup.

Dravid is a legend in Indian cricket having scored more than 10 000 runs in the Test and ODI formats and is already the coach of the India A and India under-19 sides.

The first task for the new management wil be a tour to Sri Lanka later this month for three Tests, five ODIs and a one-off T20I.

The first Test is scheduled to start in Galle on 26 July.

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