As the teams get their final preparations in before the T20i game between India and South Africa, Rahul Dravid, the head coach of Team India will be looking at the youngsters in the unit to establish themselves and gain confidence through some solid performances on home soil.
‘The wall’ is a cricketing institution in himself, as people fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of watching him at the crease can vouch for his seemingly never-ending pursuit of perfection.
There was an interview that went viral well before the age of social media and smart devices. It was one that featured Rahul Dravid’s wife, Vijetha Pendharkar, as she shed some light on his sheer focus and appetite for perfection, or at the very least, his approximation of it.
Mrs Dravid mentioned something to the effect of how she used to pack the Indian stalwart’s luggage for overseas tours and how he’d make do without any complaints with the minimal number of clothes that were set ready for him, rotating his wardrobe by pairing his garments in a number of possible permutations.
But, the very same man who could survive in a foreign land living out of a suitcase, couldn’t rest his mind at peace if the willow he was to use was even a bit off.
An added ounce of weight here or a bit of a balancing issue there and it was a strict no-go for arguably the greatest test cricketer of all time. He would ensure that it was fixed then and there before moving on.
Such is ‘Jammy’s’ focus that he observes even the tiniest of details as he ponders the best possible way to navigate a situation.
Dravid was the coach of the U19 Indian team that had two brilliant runs in back to back junior world cups. The first in 2016, led by Ishan Kishan, India made it to the finals, losing on the big occasion to a West Indies outfit.
But, the second attempt at the U19 World Cup trophy in 2018, under the captaincy of Prithvi Shaw, was even more iconic. India went unbeaten all the way as they clinched the title in a lopsided affair on the final day against Australia.
Players that were part of the promising U19 units that Dravid managed to build up are stars now including the likes of Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi and so on.
The new-look Indian team is packed with an abundance of talent. And to make the best out of the embarrassment of riches, the nation requires a steward under whose watchful eyes the team can start to build a foundation for years to come.
There are certain challenges that stare Dravid right in the face such as the heavy burden of carrying forward the grand legacy of Ravi Sashtri who managed to take Indian cricket to new heights in the longest format of the game during his successful tenure as the head coach.
The man from Karnataka who has landmark destinations named in his honour in his hometown needs to cultivate a healthy relationship with Rohit Sharma the newly appointed captain of the nation’s favourite team. KL Rahul was supposed to lead the team in the home tour against South Africa in the absence of the rested Sharma, but picked up an injury and was ruled out right before the start of the series. Pant who has worked with Dravid will be the skipper for the upcoming games.
With the calendar seemingly stuffed for the Indian team with matches and tours coming thick and fast, Dravid will seek to maintain an air of freshness about the team while ensuring the fitness of the members of the squad.
But, the biggest landmark the Indian head coach will have on his mind is probably the challenge of lifting ICC trophies as he looks to break the hoodoo during his time at the helm of the national team.
The squad selected to represent the nation in the upcoming test has some exciting names and it wouldn’t be remiss to state that each of the players in the current contingent would have been no doubt inspired by Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket.
Training under him is a dream come true for most of these players who will be keen to put a smile on the head coach’s calming face come the end of the series.
T20I Squad – KL Rahul (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, R Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
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