India's WTC final loss to Australia raises questions over Dravid's defensive tactics and coaching legacy
India's ICC title drought continued on Sunday after Rohit Sharma and Co. suffered a massive 209-run defeat at the hands of a formidable Australia who eventually lifted the World Test Championship (WTC) title.
FollowOne of the most evident flaws of Rahul Dravid's stint as India's head coach is his inability to be decisive enough when making tactical decisions, his inability to show the mirror to some of the senior players, and his lack to create a strong feeder line. If things go wrong in the ODI World Cup later this year, he is unlikely to receive an extension.
Given the strain of not being able to produce, it's possible that Rahul Dravid won't ask for a delay himself.
In Indian cricket, it is well known that Dravid, a brave and courageous fast-bowler in his playing days, will evade questions when they are asked by using ambiguity. When compared to his predecessor Ravi Shastri, who would address questions directly, whether you agreed with them or not, it is quite a contrast.
Minutes after India had utterly lost the World Test Championship final to Australia, Dravid's old teammate Sourav Ganguly posed a sharp question live on TV. The annoyance remained in the contours of Dravid's facial expression.
"Rahul, you have been a legend but why do you think some of our top-order batters (Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma) have struggled outside sub-continent most of the times?" the former India captain asked during an interview on Star Sports.
"We have experienced players in top five and they have set high standards. These are the boys who would be called legends in future. They have won two series in Australia and won Test matches in England. We are doing the best we can," Dravid's answer couldn't have convinced Ganguly one bit and neither did the millions who were streaming in.
But Dravid has experienced that throughout his nearly two-year stay with the senior Indian team. The excitement surrounding his promotion and the idea that everything wrong with the team would be remedied turned out to be a mirage since he has never come off as a credible coach.
The squad played on poorly prepared tracks in Nagpur, Delhi, and Indore in an effort to score WTC points, sowing the seeds for India's loss to Australia there.
For the majority of the series, neither the pacers nor the batsmen were able to establish enough confidence because Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja did what they do best: terrorise the opposition.
Another WTC final was a short-term win, but the elite pacers' limited match time and the top batters' poor form have been long-term losers.
As Harbhajan Singh rightly pointed out, "If your games are ending in two and half days, the pacers will never come into play. You are even killing reverse swing as option because the matches aren't lasting that long. We are not having tracks where our batters could score 500 and bowlers would have to work hard to get 20 wickets."
After taking control when the Indian spinners failed to bowl out New Zealand on the fifth day of play on a low and slow Kanpur track in 2021, Dravid developed a defensive mindset. For over 10 overs, Ashwin and Jadeja were unable to dismiss the final couple, leading to a tie in the game.
In order for India to advance to the finals, Dravid realised right away that he couldn't play on fast or slow hitting surfaces, and the hitters' confidence was shaken by the furious turners.
Even if Rishabh Pant's accident and Jasprit Bumrah's injury were only two unfortunate incidents that had an effect, one cannot dispute that Dravid is a coach who is wary of taking chances. He also doesn't like to yank up the senior players when they aren't carrying out the plans precisely.
When England was chasing a challenging total in 2022 at Edgbaston, Ravindra Jadeja frequently bowled over the wicket to Jonny Bairstow. On the last afternoon of the game, Jadeja consistently bowled on Bairstow's leg, eliminating any chance of a leg before.
There was no indication from the event that Dravid had asked Jasprit Bumrah, the new captain, to switch up his approach.
In both the academies and pathways (U-16, U-19, A squad) and senior levels, where man management and tactical adjustments rule supreme, there are two different sorts of coaches.
The successful India U-19 and A tour plan that Dravid organised during his time as NCA's head of cricket has abruptly cooled off during the past year.
The issue is that most of the performers from the India A tour programme aren't expected to advance unless they have a standout season like Mayank Agarwal had in 2018 or are a talent like Rishabh Pant, who needs to be discovered.
Dravid made a difficult decision to end the careers of Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma because he wanted to develop Kona Bharat and Prasidh Krishna for those positions. a tall, hit-the-deck quick bowler and a specialised keeper.
Prasidh, though, was hurt and didn't play much, and Bharat's batting demonstrated that Saha, even at 40, remains a superior option.
Ashish Nehra, who relies more on instinct and less on match-ups and analytics, chose Saha, a Test specialist, over Bharat for his IPL team Gujarat Titans.
Upendra Yadav, a brave India A wicketkeeper who bats better than Bharat, hasn't even been taken into consideration. Ishan Kishan might have been a daring yet original decision who might have performed better as a batter. He could have at least been put on trial, but that was not to be.
Playing Umesh Yadav, who was injured for a better part of IPL and is not among the top three choices of pacer even in overseas conditions, is another example of how the India A system is flawed.
Mukesh Kumar, who excelled for India in the World Cup, was the bowler best suited for English conditions. A strong seam that is both level and swing exponent.
Due to Cheteshwar Pujara's English county performances in 2022 and 2023, India has repeatedly chosen him for selections. However, those who follow county cricket would all agree that the Division 2, where he plays for Sussex, isn't exactly a good indicator of form, with very average bowlers in most of the sides. Division 2 does not have any of the best English Test players.
In a month, India will depart for the West Indies to begin the commencement of the subsequent WTC cycle. Will Dravid be able to crack the whip and get a squad ready for the next two years when players like Rohit, Kohli, and Pujara are towards the conclusion of their careers and no longer the same force they once were?
Can Dravid take the chance of creating a new team at the expense of a spot in the WTC final or does he believe that India will play 10 Test matches against England (at home) and Australia (on the road) in 2024 and keep the tried and true players?
The solutions are unique to Dravid.
