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India vs New Zealand: The Kohli-Dravid combination gets off to a smooth start
Virat Kohli takes charge as skipper for the first time after the change of guard in the coaching set up as India ease to victory over New Zealand in the Mumbai Test.
For all the stress on the processes, at elite level it is all about results. Rahul Dravid has been signed on as chief coach with high hopes of building on Ravi Shastri’s success and taking the team forward.
He would acknowledge the importance of starting on the right note. After his side failed to beat New Zealand in Kanpur, he would have heaved sigh of relief to see India win at Wankhede and clinch the series.
In appreciation of the result-oriented wicket prepared for the game, after the game Dravid came out to the centre of the field and congratulated the local curator and groundsmen for a job well done.
Virat Kohli and Shastri had a great equation and with the change in support staff, all eyes are on how well Kohli and Dravid work together. Earlier, Anil Kumble worked with Kohli as coach for a year in 2016-17. They had great results but the partnership didn't work.
The Wankhede Test was the first game where Kohli and Dravid linked up after the captain had taken a short break, sitting out the T20 series and the first Test. It went very well with India registering their biggest win in terms of runs (372 runs).
While Shastri’s motivational skills and tactical acumen helped the side produce solid performances, Dravid’s one clear strength is his understanding of the modern game. Having played 164 Tests and scored 13,288 runs with 36 centuries—the numbers are only behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record—the Indian dressing room has a wealth of knowledge the players can dip into.
When Dravid took over, it was expected that he will mentor the batsmen in particular to become better versions of themselves. Mayank Agarwal’s display at Wankhede (150 & 62) has provided the first example of Dravid’s work. Agarwal, 30, seemed confused a few months ago, unclear where his career was headed, but in the second Test he was the most outstanding batsman. There was clarity in his approach to both innings and he followed Dravid’s mantra that one must go for it big once settled.
Having been the India junior and A team coach and headed the National Cricket Academy, Dravid knows how much knowledge to impart and when.
“We all are serving Indian cricket. The previous management did a terrific job, now with Rahul bhai coming in, the mindset is the same, to take Indian cricket forward,” Kohli said about his new partnership.
In his first two Tests as coach, Dravid would have assessed the main challenges. The foremost will be to sort out what is holding back middle-order stalwarts Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara from converting starts. In the New Zealand series, Rahane and Kohli fell in their 30s. Pujara got 20s at Kanpur and was out for 47 in the second innings at Mumbai.
Former India skipper GR Viswanath, who was chairman of the selection committee that picked Dravid for the first time in 1996, said: “He (Dravid) has just started, we will have to give some time. He has to settle down. It is like when you come to bat, you have to see how the pitch behaves. It’s like that for him now. Yes, the coach plays a big role, but it’s the batsman who has to go out and perform.”
The upcoming South Africa tour will provide the first major test as captain and coach settle on team combination and approach seeking India’s first series win in that country.
