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Cricket Players‘His presence will be a huge boost to the Indian team’: Dilip Vengsarkar wants BCCI to ‘rush’ Rahul Dravid to Australia
India vs Australia: Vengsarkar, a former BCCI chairman of selectors, believes Rahul Dravid’s experience as coach can be highly beneficial for the team in Virat Kohli’s absence, who will take no further part in the Test series due to paternity leave.
Watching India’s embarrassing eight-wicket defeat in the Adelaide Test, former India batsman Dilip Vengsarkar has urged the board to send Rahul Dravid down to Australia on priority. Vengsarkar, a former BCCI chairman of selectors, believes Dravid’s experience as coach can be highly beneficial for the team in Virat Kohli’s absence, who will take no further part in the Test series due to paternity leave.
Dravid, a former India captain, who had a terrific series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy way back in 2003/04 is just that the team needs at the moment, feels Vengsarkar.
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“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,” Vengsarkar told Times of India. “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.
“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).”
Dravid, currently serving as the NCA chief (National Cricket Academy), had a highly successful stint as coach of India A and Under-19 sides, where under his tutelage, the team won the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2018. Besides, he has played an instrumental role in the grooming of youngsters, especially Shubman Gill. Vengsarkar feels the BCCI should do what it takes to ensure that Dravid is involved with the Indian team a lot more.
“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. It is time that Dravid is asked to be involved with the Indian team more,” he said.
