'The England experience will stand Virat Kohli in good stead'

Indian team director Ravi Shastri has backed India's batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who had a miserable Test series in England, and said he will bounce back. 

"It's a great game. It's happened to some of the best players in the world. When I say the best players in the world, it's happened to the best players in the world. Where you go through a series, a slump when nothing is right. There are technical flaws that can creep in from anywhere. Then you have bowlers with experience, patience and the ability to exploit it. 

"That's what people missed on (James) Anderson. He was a real tiger on the prowl when Virat came into bat. He sensed there was a technical flaw.

"He had to be patient getting the ball up to the bat around that area around off-stump and wait for the edge. And his execution of his plans were fabulous."

I know Virat. No one hurts more than him. No one has work ethics better than him. No one works harder than him. I see him bouncing back. I see him bouncing back big time.

"He'll be the better player once he comes back and scores runs. This experience will stand him in good stead," he said. Shastri also pointed out that West Indies great Brian Lara too had gone through a similar patch but came back stronger.

"It reminded you of when Brian Lara went through a little bit of a bad period. There was Glenn McGrath bowling around the wicket in a series in Australia. It was brilliant to watch. Here's one of the greatest players of all time just struggling a bit and a top-class opponent on the prowl.

"Moment he comes into bat, he has the ball in his hands, around the wicket. It happens in cricket. That's why Test cricket is great. But what you love to see is when Lara came back and was back on song, he smashed him to every corner of the ground. It happens. Let's hope Virat does the same. I'm quite positive he will," he said.

He felt the grueling schedule has made it impossible to correct one's flaw in a short space of time. 

"See the problem is that the amount of cricket that is played as compared to my era or the era before that, you had time. You had time in between Test matches to correct your flaws. Here, in 40 days' time you are playing five Test matches. If there is a flaw that creeps in, it's very very difficult to iron out that flaw immediately. 

"Yes it's a minor flaw which if caught early, you might correct it and play differently. Here, the problem with what Virat had was he was up against a bowler at his prime. It was relentless," he said.