Team India head coach Rahul Dravid gave a passionate speech as the hosts secured a 4-1 victory over England in the 5-match series. Dravid was overawed by the performances his team delivered, especially youngsters like Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, etc. In his speech after the end of the Dharamsala Test, Dravid highlighted how tough Test matches can get, especially against opponents like England. But, was happy that the team managed to stand up to the challenges and won despite losing the series opener.
“We not only need to win where we have to fight back but have to also win the games where we are ahead and don’t let the opposition come back. Well done on that as well, great stuff.
“Irrespective of whether we win or lose, this game teaches us a lot. Five Test series… you are going to go through ups and downs, you are going to be tested, and it is going to teach us a lot as players and as a team, and as people. We have come through that exceptionally with flying colours. We faced challenges both on and off the field, but the way we stuck as group was phenomenal.
“For a lot of young guys, you are going to need each other to succeed. Whether you are a batter or a bowler, your success is tied to other people’s success. All of you are invested in each other’s success, and that’s important. Well done on that. As a young group going forward, I hope a lot of you will play for a long time. And support each other and help each other grow as players.”
Ft. Head Coach Rahul Dravid & Captain Rohit Sharma #TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @ImRo45 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/VL7RZvNyAO
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2024
The importance of Test cricket has been in the news over the last few weeks, especially after certain players showed more interest in white-ball events over red-ball. But, Dravid feels the satisfaction one gets by winning such long Test assignments, is a mesmerising feeling.
“Series like this have to be earned. This is tough; Test cricket is hard at times. It’s hard in terms of your skills; it’s hard physically and mentally. It’s not easy. But there’s great satisfaction. The satisfaction we get winning a series like this, coming from one behind, to be able to win four, is phenomenal. There are going to be tougher challenges as we go forward; as long as we grow and learn and keep improving and stay tight as a unit, we will be fine,” said the head coach.
“I want to thank and acknowledge the support staff. It has been a long season for all of us, as we are now going into a break; the support staff… thank you to everyone. (Thanks to) our coaches, and everyone in the backroom staff for all the efforts that you have put in. It’s a terrific bunch of professionals and I love working with you guys. Good luck, thank you for the efforts that you’ve put in, proud of what you guys have achieved.”
India captain Rohit Sharma also made a cameo and thanked everyone for working together as a unit.
“Want to thank everyone for getting our act together, under pressure, wanted to respond. It wasn’t possible if all of us didn’t bond to the thought process. Extremely happy for that,” Rohit said.
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