Bengaluru, Aug 23 (Agency) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Tuesday said there is no need to panic as chief coach Rahul Dravid will be back on the park for India-Pakistan T20I clash after recovering from Covid, which is merely a flu. “I don’t think it will make that much of a difference. Today, don’t call it Covid-19, it’s just flu. In 3-4 days, it will be fine. He will be back on the park,” he told reporters in a virtual press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2022. Shastri replied to a query on Dravid contracting Covid during the routine pre-departure testing procedure. BCCI hopes that Dravid would reunite with the team at UAE once he tests Covid negative. He is being monitored by its medical team.
Further talking about Covid, Shastri said India would have won the 5th Test against England in Manchester had they played the series finale in 2021. Efforts were made to complete the Test, but India returned home due to multiple Covid cases in their camp. India played the rescheduled 5th Test in Southampton in July under head coach Rahul Dravid and lost it, helping England to level the series 2-2. “Even when I had Covid last year, I could have gone into the dressing room in 6 days. I promise you, if I had gone into the dressing room in 6-7 days and we would have played that Test match and won it at Old Trafford. This Covid, Covid, you don’t talk about Covid now. It’s just the flu. Take a couple of paracetamols and he would be back in time for India vs Pakistan,” Shastri said.