Team India coach Rahul Dravid has declared that the squad’s focus will be on their overall performance instead of individual brilliance in the Test series against South Africa.
The Indian batters have contended for form over the last few seasons, with captain Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane failing to deliver constantly. Questioning how India plans to tackle the middle-order woes, Dravid said they emphasize the team doing well as a group.
Conversation at a press conference ahead of the Fighting Day Test, Dravid said:
“One of the things that we have talked to the group about is that good team performances win these kinds of series. Everyone needs to play their part, and you can’t just rely on Virat Kohli or a Pujara or one of the guys to do the job. If we want to be successful here, we are going to need contributions from everyone – our top seven, eight.”
Dravid mentioned that, in the challenging conditions in South Africa, even lower-order parts could make a big difference. The head coach described:
“Even the lower-order, the value of their contributions in these games can be slightly low-scoring than say, in other parts of the world. Every contribution will be important, and Pujji is an important part of that line-up, as is anyone else. It’s very rare in a series like this that one person is going to score in every single game and dominate a series.”
He also added that a lot of chat about the team is about keeping the guys in a good space and the technical aspects of the game. Dravid described:
“Hopefully, I am not going to mess them up mentally (laughs). At this level, a lot of the chat keeps the guys in a good space, keeping them relaxed, challenged, and excited about the contest. There are a few conversations around the technique, but a lot of it is about thinking positively and really wanting to compete.”
.@imVkohli's transformation 👏
Excitement about SA challenge 👌
Initial few months as Head Coach ☺️Rahul Dravid discusses it all as #TeamIndia gear up for the first #SAvIND Test in Centurion. 👍 👍
Watch the full interview 🎥 🔽https://t.co/2H0FlKQG7q pic.twitter.com/vrwqz5uQA8
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2021
Dravid, who secured his first Test century in South Africa, further pointed out:
“These conditions can be a bit challenging, especially as a batsman. Sometimes there are varying conditions. You can start a Test match where the ball can seam around a bit, and the bounce can be a bit tennis ball-like. It tends to quicken up sometimes on days 2,3, and 4. Then, it can get a bit up and down on day 5.”
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