Coaching Watch: Rahul Dravid.

[Gollum]

At least our test team was watchable amidst white ball failures, uska bhi satyanash ho gaya last ek saal mein.

 

Imagine how things would have unfolded under Dravid sir after 36 ao in Adelaide 2020!!!!

[Frustrated]

Now.....Wait.  There will be 2 to 3 customary posts like 'Dravid is getting unnecessarily criticised'...   'There is nothing he can do about this'..  bla bla bla.  Followed by this gem.... 'It's only been 11 months of his tenure.    Give him 11 yrs and then judge'

[AuxiliA]

BCCI shouldn't have let B Arun go due to some stupid bureaucratic rule. He was doing a remarkable job. Improved our bowling soo much. 

 

Only BCCI can break what doesn't need fixing. 

[putrevus]

But people wanted Dravid over Shastri. B.Arun was the best thing happening to Indian cricket and they have let him go like idiots.

 

I would make B .Arun incharge of NCA and get his expertise in helping fast bowlers and bowlers in general.

[AuxiliA]

Dravid was great at U19 level, probably should have stayed there. Only time will tell. 

 

However one good thing that has happened under him is that our T20 batting approach has improved. Sure KL Rahul sometimes stinks the ship but overall they are scoring at a faster rate now. 

[Vk1]

In his playing days, Dravid was never known for his brains.. he used to do the donkey's work most of the time and was a champion player - mainly in test cricket.. Shastri on his last legs as a coach can probably contribute more in terms of tactics, innovative decisions or street smart moves... it was a ridiculous decision from LOI cricket point of view.. makes no sense at all

[sandeep]

On 11/17/2021 at 7:45 PM, sandeep said:

Everybody, and I mean literally everybody was in unanimous agreement, nodding away as to how Rahul Dravid was an excellent choice for the job of coaching the Indian national men's cricket team.  And they have been saying this for quite some time.  

 

Sure, he performed at an unquestionably brilliant level for the u19 team, the 'A' team, and the academy.   No doubt about it.  And that does support his case - to an extent.  

 

Dravid has personally, directly worked with almost 100% of the young players who will be in contention for slots in the test XI over the next few years.  He has established a working relationship and can build on that easily, and will enjoy a high degree of trust from players, given his reputation and consistent resume to be fair and impartial.  This is not a small thing for any Indian coach to enjoy, and has not been earned easily. 

 

Nor can one dispute his credentials and experience as an international player.  All of that being said, the job that he has just started with, is a different animal.  The Indian team is unlike any other cricket  team on the circuit.  This is a team, that is almost always, going to have 15+ test calibre players to pick from, for any given test match, in any given situation.   This is not a team filled with raw and inexperienced kids.  This is, quite literally, a team of all-stars - the best of best, cherry-picked from the top performers in the forty-seven teams of Indian First-Class Cricket.  The primary contribution that the coach of the national team is going to have to make, is going to be strategic.  What Dravid needs to bring to the table, is assist the captain - whoever that might be, in bringing this team up to speed with modern day cricket tactics - especially in the white ball arena.  This is where the Indian team has demonstrated consistent conservatism of approach - across the board, but especially with the bat.  

 

Some of us have been murmuring, elbowing, and then shouting with frustration - for multiple years now - about how the Indian team think tank has been preventing its talented players from delivering their best performances - especially when it comes to team performances as a whole.  For far too long - first under the much-hyped 'dhoniconda' template, the Indian white ball team chose to satisfy itself with aiming at "par" or 'close to par' totals.  'Take the big wobble and the indefensible low score off the table; even if it means giving up the possibility of achieving a par+50 score' - so went the Dhoni school of white-ball captaincy.  His preferred method of playing the odds, "taking it deep" with ball or bat, meant that India were perpetually happy with totals in the low 300s even when possessing players in their XI and squad who could potentially rip apart oppositions and set India on the path to consistent 350+ scores.  I still remember feeling hopeful when Virat took over as captain - surely this bloke - the modern day ODI run machine who possesses a preternatural instinct for ODI run-scoring, is going to move India beyond the 2011 batting template?  Especially taking into account the fact that the middle 30 over powerplay meant that the "old" math of 300 is a 'good' score was no longer true? But as we all saw, this was never going to be the case.  

 

Today I have to sit by and watch as England are crowned ODI champions, and they comfortably and consistently outperform India with the bat in white ball cricket - in spite of India having arguably (and for me unambiguously) much better batting skill and talent in their XI, their squad, and beyond.  And this is directly attributable to one thing and one thing alone - a refusal to adjust the team batting unit's mindset and methodology when it comes to ODI batting.  A refusal to demand more selflessness from the "top order", a refusal to ask the openers and #3 bat to stop chasing 'consistency' and individual landmarks in the guise of 'setting platforms', and bat to a team plan instead of an individual one.  

 

Now many on this forum know quite well that this batting methodology issue has been a pet peeve of mine, since 2015 - and yes, I am indeed harping on this a bit too much right now.  But this digression albeit a bit indulgent, is one that can support my ultimate point.  Which is to table a serious concern regarding what Rahul Dravid will or will not be able to bring to the table as Head Coach of Team India.  Can Dravid identify the strategic and tactical changes - major and minor - that this team needs to make, in order to take that next step and become the world-beating juggernaut it is capable of being?  

 

I do not doubt his willingness to do so.  But I wish I could be more confident on the question of whether he is capable or not.  

 

Take for example - the redemption and re-birth of Rohit Sharma the test batsman.  Love him or hate him, Ravi Shastri had the brains, to recognize the fact that Rohit still offered India the possibility of contributions at a 'great' level to the test team.  And he had the balls, to push forward and convert him into a test cricket opener, when he had never EVER, opened the batting at even a FC level.  This was a gutsy call, that flew in the face of conventional wisdom.  And as is always the case in Indian cricket - there were strong, logical, persuasive arguments to be made in favor of other players who 'deserved' the opportunity instead of Rohit, or offered better promise.  But Ravi 'gotey muh mein' Shastri made the big call, and stuck by it.  And look how it turned out.  Oh there were so many angry fans and words - as there always are with Indian cricket.  But now all of that has faded to black, and you will find even those who are on the record as Shastri haters, and Rohit Sharma disbelievers, begrudgingly accept Rohit as a critical, foundational member of the test XI.  

 

Rahul Dravid has made many a 'gutsy' call in his days.  As captain, he famously declared the Indian innings leaving Tendulkar at 194*.  I was watching that game live - and can recall all the drama and hype that went on and on; and on - about  that decision.  So its not that Dravid lacks the courage to make the tough call.  The question is, does he have the judgement? 

 

This is the captain, remember, that openly collaborated with 'Guru Greg' - a guy who was viciously selfish, made multiple moves and decisions that were distinctly and unambiguously, to the detriment of Indian Cricket.  Why?  Because Dravid has always been the guy that does the 'right' thing.  The 'textbook' thing.  The conventional thing. Does he now have what it takes to defy conservatism? To not advocate the 'textbook' solution?

 

And 8 times out of 10, there's not much terribly wrong with following the 'conventional wisdom'.  Its percentage cricket you see, playing the probabilities.  But there are many a times, when champion teams step up and differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack, by zigging instead of zagging.  And when push comes to shove, I don't know if Dravid is capable of that.  What is Dravid's record as coach in the IPL?  I'm not even going to bring up his time as a player in the IPL, and the 'test-class' Bangalore IPL squad that was put together around him in the inaugural IPL season.  

 

I do not have confidence that 'nice guy' Dravid - who was oh so good at mentoring and guiding all those young kids and prospects - whether its at the u19 team, the 'A' tours, or the academy - where the brief is exactly that - to be nice.  To be 'fair'.  To help everyone become the best version of themselves - whether that 'nice guy' Dravid can be ruthless enough to make that tough call.  To be "unfair" to a hardworking player who may be doing arguably well enough to hold their place in the team, in favor of that maverick who has not proven himself yet - but could be just the player that helps the India team take that next step to greatness.  

 

Take his debut game as Coach of Team India for instance.  India were playing at home, in a meaningless bilateral.  India played an XI with both Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar in it.  Avesh Khan -  the man in form, the bowler who impressed all and sundry this IPL as a genuine wicket-taking threat in multiple phases of the game, sat there on the bench wearing his yellow substitute apron.  Now one can argue that Deepak Chahar has done nothing 'wrong' to be benched - he has earned his right to be in  this game, a game being played in his 'home' state.  And hey, nothing wrong with that per se, its the nice thing to do - give a young player an opportunity to play an India game at his 'home' stadium.  But is that what's best for Team India?  

 

So tl;dr this long rant filled with random tangents and written as a stream of consciousness in about 10 minutes or so, boils down to this - The Indian national team is not filled with players that need hand-holding or mentoring.  Its a team that's stuck in the quick-sand of conservatism, and is in need of a tactical re-boot.  It is crying out for a strong leader, one that sets the tone on unselfish, team first, no-nonsense aggressive cricket.  A team that is expected to be continually blessed with a steady stream of prospects, but one that needs a Master and Commander that can direct that gush of talent, and extract collective greatness from them.  Be laser-focused on the goal of team greatness, and capable of ruthless decision making when the situation calls for it.  Can Dravid be that guy?  

 

 

 

 

Almost 2 years into Dravid's tenure, I feel like my worst fears of Dravid's limitations as coach are coming true.   

 

[Lord]

as expected when its bad Dravid is blamed,when its good its all about Rohit

[Malcolm Merlyn]

48 minutes ago, Lord said:

as expected when its bad Dravid is blamed,when its good its all about Rohit

 

Dravid is the worst coach.

[Lord]

Just now, Malcolm Merlyn said:

 

Dravid is the worst coach.

Rohit is the best captain

[Chakdephatte]

They stopped trusting their process after World T20. Sad because we did everything right only to see the players choking out despite the backing. Since then selections have been rather random. Results should not deter your thought process.

[Lord]

21 minutes ago, Chakdephatte said:

They stopped trusting their process after World T20. Sad because we did everything right only to see the players choking out despite the backing. Since then selections have been rather random. Results should not deter your thought process.

Don't think this applies to Tests. Injuries aside, we are playing same side that played under VIrat kin 2021 England.

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

Don't think this applies to Tests. Injuries aside, we are playing same side that played under VIrat kin 2021 England.

 

Nobody's giving Rohit a free pass on anything.  But Dravid is coach.  The selection of the team XI for this test match, he had critical input.  And deserves credit/blame for it.  Stop being a fan boi of individuals and develop the capacity to be objective and dispassionate in evaluating whether a great player is doing a good enough job as Team coach or not. 

[Lord]

43 minutes ago, sandeep said:

 

Nobody's giving Rohit a free pass on anything.  But Dravid is coach.  The selection of the team XI for this test match, he had critical input.  And deserves credit/blame for it.  Stop being a fan boi of individuals and develop the capacity to be objective and dispassionate in evaluating whether a great player is doing a good enough job as Team coach or not. 

But everybody is giving Rohit a free pass. How many Rohit threads bumped today? Only mentioned when double standards are called out.

 

Before lecturing, look inwards and stop treating individuals differently for same issue. That's simple bias.

 

Sack both or none.

[VT87]

Now coach has supreme power when Kohli was captain he was responsible for all deeds.kya hypocrisy hai

[express bowling]

Our problem is with the coach - captain combo rather than just the individuals. 

 

Both Dravid and Rohit seem to have very similar weaknesses and strengths as TM members.

 

Both are sub-par when it comes to choice of pacers, types of pacers needed and pace bowling strategies .. both lack aggression or even pseudo aggression .. both like to depend on experience. 

 

And they have a bowling coach who is much worse than the fantastic Bharat Arun. 

 

If Dravid has to stay then he needs a captain with different strengths which will cover his weaknesses and same applies to Rohit.

 

[AKane]

8 hours ago, Lord said:

as expected when its bad Dravid is blamed,when its good its all about Rohit

What has been good since Dravid became coach?

[express bowling]

4 hours ago, AKane said:

What has been good since Dravid became coach?

 

Our cricket watching time has reduced and we can focus on other important things in life. 

 

 

[Norman]

4 hours ago, AKane said:

What has been good since Dravid became coach?

 

You forgot the glorious MasterCard series win against WI reserves? 

[singhvivek141]

4 hours ago, AKane said:

What has been good since Dravid became coach?

Ask this to KL Rahul fans and Trundlers fans....they are most happy these days.