India coach Dravid seeks right recipe for global success

India’s K L Rahul (right) talks with coach Rahul Dravid during a practice session in Jaipur yesterday. (AFP)

India must strike a balance between trying to win every match and building a side that can be successful in future global cricket events, new head coach Rahul Dravid said yesterday.  Success in International Cricket Council events has eluded India in recent years and the team failed to reach the semi-finals of the recently concluded Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.  The tournament marked the end of Ravi Shastri’s tenure as India’s head coach, while Virat Kohli also stepped down from leading the side in the T20 format.  “You have to strike that balance. Of course we want to win every single game we play for India, but we cannot not think about the long term picture as well,” said Dravid, whose stint begins with the home series against New Zealand. “It’s a combination of both in any situation. Thinking long-term and thinking about what is in the future, certainly, is my job as a coach.” Former captain Dravid, who played 164 Tests and 344 one-dayers between 1996 and 2012 and accumulated more than 10,000 runs in both formats, has coached India’s Under-19 and A teams and was also the head of the National Cricket Academy. India, who play the first of a three-match Twenty20 series today in Jaipur, can mend their record in ICC events in the next two years with the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, the 50-over World Cup at home in 2023 alongside the World Test Championship coming up. Dravid said the team will not prioritise any particular format under him but emphasised he will closely monitor players’ physical and mental well-being. “My role initially will be to sit back and observe and then step in as and when required. We have time for that, so there’s no rush,” he said. “As far as vision is concerned, for me, it’s about us looking to improve constantly every day and that we keep getting better as players and people and we should be fine.” Rahul keen to learn from Dravid and improve Rahul Dravid’s appointment as India head coach has presented a great opportunity for the players to pick the brains of the batting great and improve as cricketers, the team’s vice-captain K L Rahul has said. “Obviously, as a youngster I did try and pick his brain and I did understand the game better, and understand the art of batting better from him, and he’s been more than kind and he’s been very helpful to all of us back home in Karnataka,” Rahul, who hails from the same state as Dravid, said. “It’ll be a great opportunity and great time for all of us to learn from him and get better as cricketers and understand the game better, and understand the game from his point of view.” Rahul said Rohit was already a proven leader, having steered the Mumbai Indian franchise to five Indian Premier League titles. “He has a great understanding of the game and tactically he’s really, really good, and that’s why he’s been able to achieve the kind of things that he has as a leader,” the 29-year-old said. “The next few weeks, or the next few days, will be exciting, to understand what kind of goals he has... It’s a big change in Indian cricket, so we’re all looking forward and really excited about it.”