Following the disappointing loss at the hands of England in the first Test of the series in Hyderabad, Team India head coach Rahul Dravid stressed for the batters – youngsters, in particular – to improve on their techniques to adapt to the changing surface conditions in the subcontinent.
India faced a narrow 28-run defeat in Hyderabad as England mounted a comeback for the ages; after Ben Stokes' men trailed by 190 runs in the first innings, Ollie Pope put on a phenomenal batting show, smashing 196 and forging strong partnerships with the lower order to set India a challenging 231-run target. The hosts, who had been significantly aggressive in the first innings of the match, failed to soak the pressure as a batting collapse saw them being bowled out for 202.
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Dravid said he doesn't want to be "too harsh" while judging the younger crop of batters but wants them to develop their own methods for countering spin-friendly conditions. The head coach's response came after a particular question on the out-of-form Shubman Gill, who had scores of 23 and 0 across the two innings.
{{/usCountry}}Dravid said he doesn't want to be "too harsh" while judging the younger crop of batters but wants them to develop their own methods for countering spin-friendly conditions. The head coach's response came after a particular question on the out-of-form Shubman Gill, who had scores of 23 and 0 across the two innings.
{{/usCountry}}"I wouldn't be so harsh to judge them. But it was a challenging wicket, and it's been a bit of a challenge for some of our young batsmen to adapt. But you know, they've got the skill," Dravid said in his post-match press meet.
However, the batting legend expressed satisfaction with how junior batters have progressed.
"They've come here by scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket. They are being picked on merit. Sometimes it does take time for people to adjust. They're working really hard and there's a lot of thought going into their batting," the coach said without taking names.
"It's just a question of them looking to constantly improve and develop skills that may help them counter these kinds of conditions a little bit better,” said Dravid.
Shubman Gill has endured a torrid start to his Test career, averaging only 29.53 in 21 Tests. The youngster took over long-term no.3 Cheteshwar Pujara's place in the Test team, adding to the spotlight on Gill.
Team India will aim for a strong response in the Test series when the two sides meet for the second Test in Visakhapatnam on February 2.