Kohli would have returned for the last Test but for the 14-day quarantine - Shastri

Ravi Shastri backs captain Virat Kohli on his decision to return home for the birth of his first child.

Virat Kohli will miss the Test series in Australia. - AP

Ravi Shastri has backed captain Virat Kohli on his decision to return home for the birth of his first child.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime moment and I am with him,” he told Sportstar in an interaction.

“He is not the one to miss a game if there was not a compelling reason. But for this bloody quarantine he would have returned for the last Test,” he said.

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Shastri pointed out Kohli was the only Indian captain to have overseen wins at home and away from home.

'Not easy'

“But it’s not easy because the quarantine process in Australia is active and very hard. To go through another 14-day period of isolation would be tough for anyone. I must tell our fans and critics that Virat is the only Asian captain, dead or alive, to have won a series against Australia at home and away from home. That is the trigger for the team to remember and shine.”

The Test series begins on December 17, and the fourth Test will start on January 15, 2021.