In a riveting first Test match at Hyderabad, India found themselves outplayed over the final two days, succumbing to a 28-run defeat against England on Sunday (January 28).

Ollie Pope’s brilliance leads to England’s remarkable turnaround

While Team India initially seized control with a substantial 190-run first-innings lead, they faced a remarkable turnaround in the face of innovative and attacking batting by England in their second innings. The visitors, led by Ollie Pope‘s brilliant 196, set India a challenging fourth-innings target of 231. Despite India’s valiant efforts, the hosts faltered and folded for 202 at the stroke of stumps on Day 4, trailing 1-0 in the five-game series.

Rahul Dravid exposes a critical error made by Team India

Head coach Rahul Dravid, in the post-match press conference, shed light on the factors contributing to India’s loss. He emphasized the team’s shortfall in runs during the second innings and acknowledged that they fell 70 runs short in the first essay.

“I thought we left probably 70 runs on the board in the first innings. You know, I think in our first innings, when conditions were pretty good to bat in on day two, I thought in the kinds of situations we got ourselves into, some good starts and we didn’t really capitalize,” Dravid said.

“We didn’t get a hundred, you know, we didn’t get somebody getting a really big hundred for us. So, in some ways, in India, I just felt we left those 70, and 80 runs back in the hut in the first innings. The second innings is always going to be challenging. It’s one of those things that, you know, it’s tough. It’s not easy to chase 230 or it’s not done very often,” the 51-year-old added.

ALSO READ: West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite flexes his muscles after victory at Gabba; slams former Australia cricketer Rodney Hogg

Dravid defends young batters

Addressing concerns about the young Indian batters struggling on the Hyderabad wicket, Dravid defended them, attributing their challenges to a lack of exposure in first-class cricket due to a packed white-ball schedule.

“A lot of our players are young, and these guys play a lot of white-ball cricket, and they don’t get a lot of time to play first-class cricket. They are learning. It wasn’t a flat wicket by any stretch of imagination, and it turned through the course of the game. It was a challenging wicket, and it’s been a challenge for some of our young batters to adapt, but they are working hard, and they have the skill and ability,” the Indore-born cricketer reckoned.

They have come here by scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket and doing well in A-team cricket, and they are picked of merit. It is not that we are picking people out of nowhere, and sometimes it takes a bit of time for people to adjust,” Dravid concluded.

As India reflects on the outcome of the first Test, the spotlight now shifts to the upcoming second game scheduled to commence in Vishakhapatnam on February 2.

There is no denying that Rohit Sharma‘s Team India will miss the services of batting mainstay Virat Kohli in the first two Tests of the five-match series against England. After returning to the shortest format in the Afghanistan series, Kohli opted to pull out of the first two England Tests for personal reasons on Monday. With the opening Test of the five-match series starting from Thursday in Hyderabad, the Rahul Dravid-coached side will soon name Kohli’s replacement.

Confirming Kohli’s departure from the Indian squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) urged the fans and media to refrain from speculating about the forced break of the former India skipper in the lead-up to the Test series opener. Speaking at the traditional press conference ahead of the 1st Test between India and England on Tuesday, head coach Dravid admitted that Kohli’s presence was a huge boost to the Indian side.

‘He’s a phenomenal player’: Rahul Dravid on Kohli

“Any team will miss a quality player like Virat Kohli, there is no doubt about it. He is a phenomenal player and his records tell everything. He is a huge boost to the side but having said that it gives an opportunity to the other players to step up and put in some good performances,” Dravid said in the pre-match press conference.

ALSO READ: Rajat Patidar added to India Test squad as Kohli’s replacement

Former India skipper Kohli smashed 765 runs in 11 games at the ICC World Cup last year. Kohli-starrer Team India made it to the final of the ICC event. After a successful World Cup, Kohli was rested for the entire white-ball series against hosts South Africa. Kohli made his return to international cricket by leading India’s batting charge against the Proteas in the two-game Test series.

The 35-year-old finished the South Africa Test series as India’s leading run-getter in the Rainbow Nation. India have only named its squad for the first two Tests of the England series. Kohli-less India are also without speedster Mohammed Shami, who is recovering from an ankle injury.

‘We have players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul’

“We have got some good experience in the squad. We have players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who have played in the team for over a decade in Tests. There are some other great players in the team like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer but I will not call them youngsters. They have been there with the squad for a time now and they have the opportunity to perform and prove themselves in the five-match series,” Dravid added.

BCCI extends support to Kohli

Earlier, BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed that Kohli requested the apex cricket board to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the England series. Kohli also discussed his decision with skipper Rohit and the team management. “The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series,” the BCCI secretary said.

Always trust Ravichandran Ashwin to spring something out of the ordinary. Shortly after the 1st ODI ended with India picking up a five-wicket-win over Australia in Mohali to take a 1-0 lead in the series, Ashwin made heads turn when put strapped up those batting pads, put on his helmet and scampered out to bat in the middle of the ground in a late-night practice session. In a highly unusual sight, Ashwin got the nets out and began batting at one of the pitches even as head coach Rahul Dravid turned fielder and took his position at square leg. Ashwin’s post-match stunner left Mark Waugh and Abhishek Nayar, part of the broadcasting panel, absolutely flabbergasted. Both the former cricketers hailed the off-spinner’s ever-so-determined attitude.

Also Read: Internet Approves India’s Cricket World Cup Jersey, That Comes With A Twist.

With just 15 days to go for the World Cup, it comes as no surprise that Ashwin is conjuring every possible effort to ensure he is part of the India squad, which mind you, can be tweaked no later than September 28. After bowling an economical spell of 1/47 off his 10 overs, picking up the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, the 37-year-old Ashwin rushed in to hone his batting. In accordance with the recent patterns observed in the team management’s decisions, it is evident that they prioritise having players in their lineup who can contribute with both bat and ball. And Ashwin, boasting five Test centuries and one ODI fifty, aligns perfectly with this strategic approach.

VIDEO: Ashwin’s late-night batting practice after India beat Australia turns heads

“How cool is that? He is batting right in the centre, he’s got a net out. And that’s where the support staff really works hard. It’s past 10, it’s late and they are still going. He’s got Rahul Dravid at square leg, Vikram Rathour at slips, Mark Waugh at fine leg, so it’s a terrific part of the preparation. I’m sure the management has told him to work on his batting,” former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar said.

This isn’t the first real sign of Ashwin’s eagerness to bat. A day after he was recalled into India’s squad for the Australia ODIs, Ashwin turned out in a local league match organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Representing the Take Solution MRPA, Ashwin walked out to bat, a testament to his top-notch commitment towards the game.

“It’s a great opportunity for me. I have always said over the last 3-4 years that it’s not about what I want to achieve in these opportunities. I just want to enjoy myself, give myself the best chance. When I went back from West Indies, I took a break, played a few club games. The team management has kept me in loop and told me to just stay ready whenever there is a chance. I was just touching base with my fitness. Started bowling a few sessions,” Ashwin said in a BCCI video after his return to India’s ODI set-up.

“I want to bring something different to the table so I have been working on some angles because one-day cricket is not just about spin anymore. It’s more about the angles, the usage of the crease, its depth. I’m trying to put myself in a zone of discomfort, to try and push barriers as always because for me what comes first is the pride of my performance and what best abilities and talent I can showcase.”

Virat Kohli received a brilliant ovation from the crowd when he walked into the crease and the Mohali crowd had their posters shown up on the screen as well. The right-hander did start his innings nervously but found his rhythm once he got off the mark. However, he received a peach of a delivery from Lasith Embuldeniya while batting on 45 as he was clean bowled.

Virat Kohli mentioned his emotions have been really high and it felt like his debut match. 

“I told Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) that I am feeling like I am making my debut for India – I didn’t realise the magnitude of the occasion until I reach the ground. It was a special moment,” Virat Kohli shared with reporters after the end of Day 1 of 1st Test against Sri Lanka.

‘Every time we pick a Playing XI, we disappoint people’: Rahul Dravid makes heartfelt ‘I’m not perfect’ confession

With coaching comes the responsibility of taking tough calls, which Rahul Dravid admits is the ‘hardest part’ about being a coach.

Also Read: ”What Do You Mean By At This Age? I’m Still Young’: Ajinkya Rahane Hits Back At Press says ‘lot of cricket left in me’ before IND vs WI Test 2023

In the 20 months that he’s been head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, Rahul Dravid has had more misses than hits – not qualifying for the Asia Cup 2022 final, losing in South Africa, losing to England in the rescheduled 5th Test last year, bowing out in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup and suffering a defeat in the World Test Championship final. However, the one thing he has done better than his predecessor Ravi Shastri is given players a long run. Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are names that have been persisted with and look where it’s got them. Arshdeep has become India’s go-to bowler in the death overs, while Gill has announced himself as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Even Iyer has shown his class against spin – in Bangladesh last year – even though he was put on the shelf with a back injury.

A part of that behaviour stems from who Dravid is – a fair man, as a player then and as coach now. He believes in giving every deserving candidate a fair run, a trait that can only be found in someone who has played all his cricket with dignity. And Dravid was the epitome of dignity. However, with coaching comes the responsibility of taking tough calls, a fair share of which Dravid has taken during his time in charge. That, as Dravid puts it, is the ‘hardest part’ about being a coach, far beyond the confines of winning and losing.

“You care for each of those people whom you coach, on a personal level as well and you’re trying to build personal connections. You want to coach them as people and not so much as cricket players. And when you do that, you want all of them to succeed. But at the same time, you’ve got to be realistic and realise that not all of them are going to succeed. At times you’ve got to make those tough and difficult decisions,” Dravid said during the episode of ‘Cred Curious’.

“Every time we pick a Playing XI, we disappoint people; there are others who are not playing. Every time we pick a 15 for a tournament, there are a lot of guys who feel they should be there. And you feel bad for them at an emotional level. But at least we all try. I don’t say I am perfect at it. I’m not saying that I get it right all the time because it does affect you. That’s the hardest part of coaching or leading teams – having to make those tough decisions about people you truly want to succeed and do well. But you can only pick so many players, forced by the rule.”

There is no easy answer to it, says Dravid

Before taking over as head coach of Team India, Dravid’s time with the India A and the Under-19 teams was lauded all over. Barring the immaculate string of results that he and his team delivered, the highlight was just how good Dravid and the players were with each other. But the Indian men’s senior cricket team is a different kettle of fish altogether. Here, Dravid had to make decisions that not many can – such as dropping Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma from the team last year – or having the ‘talk’ with Wriddhiman Saha about his future.

But since it was Dravid, there was an assurance that it wouldn’t blow out of proportion. In fact, back when the whole saga played out, the only positive development was just how transparent the communication was between Dravid and Saha, something the former India captain takes pride in and tries to be fair at.

“There is no easy answer to it. I think the thing that comes to me is at least you try to be honest about it. In your communication and dealings with players, if there is an honesty and if they can think that you are doing without any political agenda or any bias in play, then that is the best you can hope for. That has to be a guiding principle,” mentioned Dravid.