Coach Ravi Shastri Indulges In 'Banter' On Twitter

The Indian cricket team's landslide win over England in the third Test match seems to have allowed coach Ravi Shastri to indulge in humor on Twitter. In a rare reply to a tweet, Shastri on Saturday wrote: "love the banter" on his handle.

The tweet has a reference to India's 10-wicket win over England in the third Test in Ahmedabad, Gujarat - a 'dry' state where liquor is prohibited. The win was registered inside two days of the five-day match, allowing players three days to practice and indulge in other activities.

It all started with a meme on social media. It carried a smiling photo of Shastri with these words attributed to the former India captain: "you thought I'd stay in a dry state for 5 days?" The reference was to the prohibition in Gujarat.

But whoever made the meme probably forgot that the next Test match will also be played in Ahmedabad, starting on March 4, so Shastri would have to stay put in the bio-bubble in the city.

Well-known writer and author Shobhaa De, 73, tweeted the meme, along with the word "smart!" and tagged former Shastri.

Surprisingly, Shastri, 58, reacted. "Love the banter ! Feels good to bring some smiles in these tough times," he tweeted in reply.

Shastri, a successful all-rounder, played 80 Tests and scored 3,830 runs and captured 151 wickets. In 150 One-day Internationals, the left-arm spinner bagged 129 wickets and scored 3,108 runs.

After retirement, Shastri switched to television commentary and has had a few stints as coach of the Indian team.