India, Feb. 24 -- Former India head coach Ravi Shastri minced no words in his assessment of India's Super 8 loss to South Africa, a 76-run defeat in Ahmedabad last Sunday, their heaviest-ever in T20 World Cup history. Shastri reckoned the defending champions needed that jolt, with their semifinal hopes still alive.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri said it was better that India suffered the setback early in the campaign rather than later, leaving them time to reassess their plans for the remaining two Super 8 matches, against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday and West Indies in Kolkata on March 1.

"I'm actually glad it's happened early, especially against a team that's tipped to make the semi-finals anyway. It might just be the shake-up...