Rahul Dravid – India weren’t experimenting for the sake of experimenting

“Experimentation.” It is a phrase Rahul Dravid has maybe learn and heard a lot that he wasn’t fairly within the temper to let it go outdoors off yet another time. Dravid was as measured as he may very well be, listening to out the query in full, earlier than neatly leaning into his reply that shaped the crux of his press convention on the conclusion of India’s six-day conditioning camp in Bengaluru.

“To be very trustworthy with you, this phrase experimentation will get thrown round rather a lot with out truly generally being thought via,” Dravid started. “It is not that we are attempting to generally experiment for the sake of experimenting. Typically there are particular the reason why you need to do sure issues.”

Everybody within the room knew Dravid wasn’t executed. The truth is, he had barely warmed up.

“Simply to offer you an instance, the No. 4 and 5 spots appear to get mentioned and talked about rather a lot,” he continued. “It gives the look that we do not have readability on who was going to be there, however to be very trustworthy with you, I might have advised you 18 or 19 months in the past the highest two-three candidates we had been for the No. 4, 5 slots. It was all the time going to be Shreyas [Iyer], KL [Rahul] and Rishabh [Pant] for these spots, proper?

“If you happen to look again on a few of the groups that we picked from 18 months in the past, there was little doubt in our minds. Clearly, it is unlucky that every one three of them ended up with accidents within the house of two months. What are the chances of that occuring? And I do not assume we are able to, no one can, calculate for that, particularly with the restricted variety of video games that we had in one-day cricket.”

Satisfied a lot? Even if you happen to had been, there was extra to come back.

“You are additionally specializing in a T20 World Cup, World Take a look at Championship. You are attempting to stability all of that out. You are attempting to offer sufficient sport time to folks. And all three of the blokes who had been form of pushing for these two spots obtained injured within the house of three months they usually weren’t small accidents, proper? Severe accidents. All three of them have needed to go underneath the knife. So when that occurs, then you need to react to that. Then you’ve got to attempt to put different folks in these positions and see who can do it in case they aren’t prepared for the World Cup or an enormous occasion.

Dravid: ‘It is all hopefully coming collectively properly with a few of the guys getting back from damage simply on the proper time for us’•Getty Photos

“You’ll be able to’t predict whether or not they’ll be 100% proper or not, proper? As we’re seeing even now with KL, generally you’ve got to offer it per week additional. So in that scenario then we did attempt a couple of folks. We did rotate a couple of folks round, checked out a couple of folks, nevertheless it’s good to know that a minimum of two of the three appear to have obtained to some extent the place they’ve recovered and needs to be obtainable for us.

“However in the intervening time, when individuals are not obtainable, you need to attempt different folks and you need to take a look at different folks. So, I believe at this cut-off date, for us, it is actually about simply giving sport time to folks and guaranteeing that we give them sufficient alternatives to play within the roles that they are going to play within the event. And that is all the time been the endeavour.”

Dravid was then requested if the World Cup will outline his teaching legacy. He has been with the crew since November 2021. He has seen India falter close to the end line twice. On the T20 World Cup, they ran right into a red-hot England within the semi-final. On the WTC closing, Australia proved too good. Will Dravid be third-time fortunate?

“Oh, I am not into legacies as a coach or something like that,” he provided with a smile. “It is thrilling to play a World Cup at house. I have to say that it is going to be actually thrilling for everybody, for the boys, for the followers. Yeah, there’s going be a certain quantity of stress related to it, which is most welcome and which I believe all of us count on, however to additionally to have the ability to play in entrance of your individual house crowds, your individual followers goes be very particular for everybody. We hope we are able to have a very good event. I believe we’re making ready very well, we’re build up actually properly. It’s all hopefully coming collectively properly with a few of the guys getting back from damage simply on the proper time.”

The one factor Dravid strongly felt, although, was house benefit is unlikely to be a large issue. It’s not going to be “defining” in that sense. Why? The IPL, and rightly so.

“There are some actually good groups on this event, however I believe the entire thing of house benefit, particularly within the sub-continent, has diminished to a big extent over the past 10-12 years as a result of, you understand, folks come and play right here a lot, particularly in tournaments just like the IPL, the place folks come for 2 months and have been getting used to those circumstances.

“So it is going to be a very shut event, it is going to be a decent event. We really feel assured, we’re actually excited. As a coach, I am actually wanting ahead to it as effectively. However no, I imply, you do not take into consideration these items as legacy and stuff. That is not likely what I take into consideration. I attempt to keep within the current, and attempt to do the job that I can now and never fear in regards to the future.”

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo