In cricket’s new panorama centred round World Cups, which now occur yearly, trophies matter greater than ever earlier than. Rahul Dravid, in his two-year tenure as India’s head coach couldn’t finish India’s trophy drought at ICC occasions, however has been rewarded with a contract extension for the staff’s dream run on the latest ODI World Cup the place they gained ten matches in a row to complete runners-up.
File photograph, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid in the course of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, in Bengaluru(PTI)
The Indian board, by not adopting a tunnel imaginative and prescient, has chosen to see benefit in persevering with with Dravid provided that there are simply six months to go for the following instalment of an ICC World Cup, of the T20 selection.
“The Head Coach has our full backing, and we will provide him with all the support needed for sustained success at the international level,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah mentioned on Wednesday.
AIMING FOR WORLD T2O
Time will inform if Dravid and his assist employees – batting coach Vikram Rathore, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T Dilip, will keep on for your entire period of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle and the 2025 Champions trophy. But a BCCI official confirmed Dravid’s contract extension, a minimum of for subsequent 12 months’s T20 World Cup to be held in USA-West Indies was ‘always on the cards, if the ODI World Cup went well’.
Unlike England, which has separate head coaches and assist employees for red-ball and white-ball cricket, the BCCI prefers to have a reputed coach to supervise all cricket. Besides, the prevailing sentiment within the board is that dwelling coaches are higher positioned to ship outcomes. All of this made the choice to supply Dravid an opportunity to remain in cost, simpler.
Before arriving on the determination, views of high gamers and the Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had been sought. Everyone needed Dravid to information the staff in one other try and care for some unfinished business, after the semi-final defeat towards England within the 2022 T20 World Cup.
“I thank the BCCI for placing their trust in me, endorsing my vision. As we embrace new challenges post the World Cup, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence,” Dravid said in a statement.
On the face of it, under Dravid, India lost key away Tests. They lost the 3-Test series in South Africa 1-2. The rescheduled Test in England was also lost. India’s qualification for the WTC final was largely on the strength of their home dominance and a series win in Bangladesh.
In the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, the Indian team mix as well as their cricket looked dated and unthreatening. When they were blanked by eventual champions England, it did not come as a surprise.
To Dravid’s misfortune, the team was rarely able to play at full strength, with continuous injuries to key players. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was dearly missed. Even captaincy continued to change hands for the same reason. It was after the South Africa series that Virat Kohli gave up Test captaincy. In one of those three Tests, he got injured and KL Rahul had to step in. Regular captain Rohit as well as vice-captain KL Rahul missed the decisive Test in England and Bumrah became the last-minute choice to lead.
In fact, two months before the home ODI World Cup, there was no guarantee, if India’s middle-order would be at full strength. Dravid said it wasn’t for lack of planning, but simply because of injuries. “I could have told you 18 or 19 months ago, it was always going to be between Rahul, Rishabh and Shreyas (in the middle-order),” he would say. As India’s luck turned, all of it got here collectively within the World Cup. Other than Pant, everybody together with Bumrah returned absolutely match.
FUTURE PLANNING
Over the final 12 months, even captain Sharma, who struggled for health within the first half of Dravid’s teaching tenure, discovered the wherewithal to vary his recreation fully. He knew the staff wanted him to step up, enhance his strike-rate and that was a message that was clearly communicated by Dravid as nicely. Still, it was a threat however Rohit took it with a watch on the large image.
The gung-ho method on the high was tried on the final T20 World Cup as nicely nevertheless it hadn’t labored then, nevertheless it was vastly profitable in ODIs. Can the 36-year-old take the identical method to the T20 World Cup? Will Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad be higher? Surely, you possibly can’t drop Shubman Gill. And what about Ishan Kishan? Does India’s T20 cricket require a batting anchor in Kohli? These are advanced choice riddles which Dravid should sit with the selectors to resolve.
It’s one space – man administration – the place Dravid excels. His dealing with of dressing room issues, with grace and tact, has been acknowledged by the gamers. From creating house for a Kohli to prosper as a participant after being a long-time captain, giving injured gamers deserving alternatives on return to giving a long term to these he noticed match-winning potential in. Not each transfer could have come off, however most would agree, he was capable of construct the dressing room which had nice ambiance.
“I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room. It’s a culture that stands resilient, whether in moments of triumph or adversity,” mentioned Dravid.
Despite IPL presents, it could even have been the purist in Dravid to have coaxed him to attempt to create historical past in South Africa – turn out to be the primary Indian staff to win a Test sequence there. India departs to South Africa for an all-format tour on December 6. It was below Dravid’s captaincy that India gained its first ever Test match in 2006 on South African soil.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
