Rahul Dravid to stay on as India head coach
CHENNAI: T20 World Cup semifinalist, World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finalists. That is how Rahul Dravid's coaching resume would have read after India's loss against Australia in Ahmedabad less than two weeks ago. At that moment, it did seem like that was the end of the road, at least for the time being. However, that is not the case.
With the official confirmation from the BCCI on Wednesday that Dravid and his support staff would continue in their respective roles, the former India captain could have yet another chance to have a go at an ICC event. While the press release from the BCCI did not mention the term of the extension, it looks like Dravid, Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) and T Dilip (fielding coach) would stay on until the T20 World Cup in June next year. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman will continue to head the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
First things first. Despite not having a trophy to show, the Indian team, under Dravid and Rohit Sharma (captain), have adopted a new approach, especially in white ball cricket. They took a proactive approach while making the players stick to their strengths in the 50-over format. The result is the invincible run India had at the home World Cup up until the final. In fact, Dravid spoke about the team culture he was able to build with the captain after signing on for the extension. "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," he said in a statement released by BCCI.
However, briefly before his tenure as head coach was extended, the trophy drought put a question mark over whether Dravid would continue or whether the board would want him as all-format coach and so on. In fact, there were multiple reports that the former captain was being approached by IPL teams and the BCCI tried to rope in Ashish Nehra for the shortest format. In the end, Dravid remains in the hot seat. "The BCCI engaged in productive discussions with Mr. Rahul Dravid after the term of his contract ended following the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and unanimously agreed to further the tenure," read the release from BCCI.
While India's red-ball transition has already begun, what will be interesting is to see how the team goes into the T20 World Cup. Since the last global T20 event, Hardik Pandya has led India in the shortest format whenever he was available while Sharma and Virat Kohli have stayed away. As things stand, Suryakumar Yadav is captaining India in the bilaterals against Australia. However, with Pandya recovering from injury, it will be interesting to see who leads India in the T20Is in South Africa next month. At some level, it is going to be the biggest talking point for the next few months of Dravid's tenure. When he took charge, there was a change of guard with Sharma named as white-ball captain before Kohli resigned from the longest format. While Sharma is expected to continue for the Tests, and even ODIs, will he want to play the shortest format and aim for another ICC title six months down the line?
Apart from the T20 WC, under Dravid India will also play two away Tests in South Africa and a five-Test home series versus England. In the BCCI's release, secretary Jay Shah said that Dravid will have the "full backing" and "all the support needed for sustained success at the international level.” How the three big assignments go could well determine the path Indian cricket takes seven months down the line.