India head coach Rahul Dravid spoke on a variety of topics related to Indian cricket ahead of the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad. The Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.
In the press conference ahead of the first Test in Hyderabad, Rahul Dravid gave an insight into how the Indian team will approach the Test series. The Indian team was shaken early when Virat Kohli pulled out of the first two Test matches.
“So they won’t be looking to change that in any particular way. There will be a few different situations where we may need to try to drive the game or we may need to bat for long periods. But I don’t see any of my batsmen taking a step back or appearing defensive,” Rahul told reporters.
He also spoke about what is expected of the England team as a rival. Their captain, Ben Stokes, recently underwent knee surgery and is still recovering. Brendon McCullum seemed confident in his fitness, however, he will take one final call before the match. Dravid expects England to go strong in this series.
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Rahul Dravid expects England to toughen up
“It’s been exciting to watch them play and you know they’ve had success playing like that. They have done well in Pakistan. They won in New Zealand and also had a really exciting series against Australia in The Ashes. So we have to respect that.”
“But we know it will be a challenge for them in these conditions because they are conditions we know very well. We have a lot of experience in our attack. I’m looking forward to seeing how our guys respond because I know we will be under pressure,” Dravid said.
Dravid sees this Test series as a good opportunity for senior players to take a step forward in this Test series. He said senior players can set an example for the younger generation to follow in this Test series. India is second in the WTC points table while England is seventh before the start of the first Test.
“So it is a very good opportunity for them over the course of the next five games to set good scores as there is a lot of Test cricket (for us) over the next 12 to 18 months. It’s a really good opportunity for some of these young players, who have had a taste of international cricket, to take the next steps. I am interested to see how they do,” he explained.
India They will aim to replicate their recent home record against England in Tests, having beaten them 3-1 in 2020/21 and 4-0 in the 2016/17 series. A win in the home Test series against England will be a huge achievement in India’s quest to win the ICC World Test Championship final. A win in the Test series will help India reach the top position in the WTC points table.
With Virat Kohli out of the first two Test matches, the BCCI is yet to name a replacement. Dravid also said that his absence would be a big void but he did not say anything about the possible replacement.
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