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Rahul Dravid, the departing head coach of India, officially announced yesterday evening that he will not be extending his contract with the team. This marks the conclusion of another coaching era for India, which had its ups and downs. When Dravid took over from Ravi Shastri in November 2021, there were high expectations, including ending India’s quest for an ICC trophy. Despite coming close twice, Dravid and his team were unable to clinch the coveted silverware.
Nevertheless, Dravid’s tenure was not solely marked by near-misses. During his time, India achieved significant Test series victories against Australia and England at home, and secured a spot in their second consecutive World Test Championship final. The team continued to excel in bilateral series, and notably clinched the Asia Cup title for the eighth time last year. As Dravid prepares for his final series as India’s coach, there could be no better send-off for one of India’s most illustrious cricketers than lifting the T20 World Cup trophy.
Reflecting on Dravid’s tenure prompts us to consider the true measure of a coach’s success. Is it solely about winning trophies, or does it encompass broader contributions? While Dravid undoubtedly aimed to add ICC trophies to his coaching accolades, his significant efforts to uphold the standard of Indian cricket will be remembered as one of his greatest achievements, according to Parthiv Patel. As Dravid’s former teammate, Parthiv emphasized the areas where “The Wall” diligently focused, which are expected to yield long-term benefits for the Indian cricket team.
“As a coach, you want to win the trophy, but another factor is what kind of culture you want to imbibe within the team. What kind of cricket do you want to play? And the biggest example of that was India’s attacking style during the World Cup. There were question marks about whether they could, but Team India constantly did it. One bad day, and India couldn’t win the World Cup. In Tests, they lost the WTC final. But they reached the final under him,” Parthiv told Cricbuzz.
The impact of Rahul Dravid on shaping India’s cricketing future
Despite not achieving the same level of success with the senior men’s team, Rahul Dravid, who previously enjoyed triumphs as the coach of India A and India Under-19, retains a sharp eye for identifying young, talented cricketers. Players like Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, and Devdutt Padikkal have earned their Test caps under his guidance and are poised to step into larger roles as current star players phase out. Recognizing talent and nurturing it requires a unique skill set, and according to Parthiv, Dravid excels in this aspect, standing out in the role.
“Also look at the new players that came in. Among wicketkeepers, after Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel announced himself. Among pacers, after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the likes of Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar bowled well. Even spinners are lined up. Whatever there was to do, Rahul Dravid did it with aplomb. Yashasvi Jaiswal was your leading run-scorer against England, Shubman Gill became your No. 3 batter, which is a big move. The series which India won, Virat Kohli wasn’t your No. 1 batter. So there have been plenty of positives for which Rahul Dravid would be remembered,” added the former India wicketkeeper.
