In the past, Rahul Dravid (left) also has been a mentor and coach to Prithvi Shaw, who is reeling with an awful form, while managing the India under-19 and India A side.
India’s first day/night overseas Test turned into a nightmare following team’s second innings collapse of 36, which forced them out of the game by the third afternoon of Adelaide Test against hosts Australia.
Starting the day with somewhat upper hand, Team India were having a lead of 62 runs in hand with likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane among others yet to come. However, what happened in the next half an hour, thanks to some fearsome bowling by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, left the side stunned at 19/6. The entire top-order came tumbling down as a pack of cards while Aussies plan to bowl fuller and straight, with the seaming conditions in their favour, left India in chaos.
After such demoralising defeat, the team will be missing the services of skipper Kohli, who is going on a paternity leave, leaving India in a dire strait. This has prompted former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar to suggest that in order to cope up with the situation BCCI should send Rahul Dravid to Australia to help the side deal with its batting woes.
“The BCCI must rush Dravid to Australia to help the team. No one can guide the batsmen better on how to play the moving ball in those conditions. His presence will be a huge boost to the Indian team in the nets. In any case, the NCA has been shut due to Covid for the past nine months, leaving him with little to do," Vengsarkar told Times of India on Saturday.
In the past, Dravid also has been a mentor and coach to Prithvi Shaw, who is reeling with an awful form, while managing the India under-19 and India A side.
"The Board can make a better use of Dravid by utilising his services to help the national team, which will be without skipper Virat Kohli from now (last three Tests).”
Vengsarkar stressed that Dravid must be sent immediately as he would have to serve the 14-day quarantine and then join the team from third Test.
“Even if he has to serve a mandatory two-week quarantine period, he should be available for helping the Indian team at the nets before the third Test in Sydney, which will begin from January 7,” Vengsarkar said.
Dravid in the past has enjoyed batting in Australia, and was instrumental in India’s four-wicket win over Australia in 2003. He went on to score 619 runs in that series, averaging 123.8 with three fifties and a hundred under his belt. Overall, in 16 Tests in Australia, Dravid has scored 1166 runs, averaging 41.64.
