Head coach Rahul Dravid. File
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Rahul Dravid underlined the importance of staying together and functioning as a unit to be triumphant in the tough world of Test cricket while delivering a motivational dressing room speech after India registered a memorable 4-1 series win over England.

After losing the opening Test in Hyderabad, the hosts bounced back in stunning fashion to win the next four matches to claim the series.

“Series like this have to be earned and this is tough. Test cricket is hard at times. It’s hard in terms of your skill. It’s hard physically, as you’ve seen, it’s hard mentally,” Dravid said in a video posted on BCCI.tv.

“But it’s great satisfaction at the end of it. The satisfaction that you get winning a series like this coming from one behind to be able to win four. I think it’s just phenomenal,” he added.

As key players like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami and KL Rahul, who played only the opener, were unavailable, India found heroes in some young names in the series. The home side handed debuts to five players — Rajat Paitidar, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep — in the marquee series.

In fact, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja too missed a Test each.

The Indian coach was a chuffed man after some of those young names emerged with flying colours from the series.

“For a lot of you young guys, especially coming into this group, you are going to need each other to succeed. Whether you’re a batsman or bowler or whatever you are, your success is tied in with other people’s success.

“All of you are invested in each other’s success. And that’s really important going forward. It’s not about your success, but it’s about how you can help other people succeed, which will also help you succeed,” he said.

The 51-year-old was delighted to see the players finding ways to turn the tide whenever they were put under pressure.

“There were times in the series that we were really challenged and pushed and we found a way to bounce back, which speaks to the skills that we have, the resilience that we have, the character that we have.

“On many occasions in this series the games could have gone either way. But we always found people in this dressing room who stepped up and turned the game our way. And that was fantastic.” Dravid also said the team also did well to maximise advantageous positions.

“So, you not only need to win the games when you have to fight back, which we did really well. But you have to also win the games when you’re ahead and you don’t let the opposition come back in any situation.” The former India captain praised the team for emerging winners from a long, gruelling series against a quality opposition.

“We talked about this at the start of the series as well. Irrespective of whether we win or lose this is going to teach us a lot — a five Test match series. You’re going to go through a lot of ups and downs.

“It’s a long series, you’re going to be tested. And it was going to teach us a lot about us as players or some as a team, and a lot about us and we’ve come through that exceptionally with terrific flying colours and we face challenges both on and off the field.”

Captain Rohit Sharma shakes hands with English counterpart Ben Stokes after winning the fifth Test Match in Dharamsala.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley

Former England spinner Graeme Swann doesn’t believe Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was better than Ben Stokes’ in the five-match Test series. Rather, it was a lethal set of bowlers that “did the trick” for the India skipper.

While Stokes’ leadership style has attracted all the attention prior to and during the series, Rohit’s team emerged 4-1 winners in the end.

“I don’t think he has been superior as a captain because his bowlers have done the trick for him. I think he’s got more weapons at his armoury,” Swann told PTI Videos in an exclusive chat after India inflicted an innings and 64-run defeat on England in the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala on March 9.

“He’s been good don’t get me wrong, Rohit Sharma, but, I don’t think if you pick this apart and say Stokes has captained badly, I think you are barking up the wrong tree there.

“Rohit Sharma’s bowlers have really come to town for him, come to the party for him, in the last four Test matches, they didn’t in the first one but they have done for the last four,” Swann noted.

No blaming Bazball

Far from blaming ‘Bazball’ for England’s loss, Swann said Stokes and Co actually failed to play the brand of cricket that has brought them success in recent times.

Swann’s observation is in stark contrast to the views expressed by few other former players who attributed the drubbing to the visitors’ fixation with Bazball.

“I don’t think we have seen Bazball in this trip whatsoever, we saw it for one innings of this Test series, that’s when Ollie Pope got a 190, and that was the definition of bazball,” he said.

“I think England, where they have fallen flat in this series is, they have not been brave enough. I don’t think they have played what you guys in the media call Bazball.

“I think if they had, I think this series would have been closer if I am honest.” Bazball, which is derived from England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s nickname Baz, fell flat as the tourists capitulated inside three days in the fifth Test, helping India secure their 17th straight Test series triumph on home soil.

On the match getting over in under three days, Swann said: “I would say it’s a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match.

“India were just too good for England in this game. It’s always at the end of a series if it’s already been won by one team, you worry that this will happen, the resistance will be completely blown away and it was in this Test match.

“So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match.” As a former off-spinner himself, Swann applauded Ravichandran Ashwin’s stupendous performance on his 100 Test match.

“You know what it’s brilliant, to get a fifer on his hundredth Test match. I have not actually seen him, I was looking to go and congratulate him myself but I will have to do that at the hotel later.

“Bowling so well and making those early inroads, that was brilliant, possibly one of his best fifers in his 100 Test matches, so you have got to take your hat off to Ashwin,” he observed.

On James Anderson becoming the first fast bowler to reach 700 wickets, Swann said: “He’s a joke, Jimmy is an absolute joke, how he has kept going for all this amount of time.

“When I say it’s a joke I mean that in a good way, he’s been incredible, and to get 700 wickets, well you know it’s almost nonsensical the achievement and I love him to bits.

“I was kind of hoping when he almost bounced Kuldeep out, almost hit his gloves and bobbled in the air, that would have been the dream for Jimmy, because he has not bowled a decent bouncer for 10 years, but he has now.”

Coach Rahul Dravid with R Ashwin after the team won the fifth Test cricket match against England, in Dharamsala, on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was rather understated vis-à-vis Ben Stokes’ on-the-edge methods, but India head coach Rahul Dravid was delighted to see the players identify themselves with the Mumbaikar’s leadership principles.

Under Rohit, India never made tall claims even once but silently and categorically nullified the visitors’ much-talked-about ‘Bazball’ and grabbed the five-match series 4-1.

“I’m privileged to work with a lovely team. I’m learning from them all the time. Rohit has been fantastic to work with. I think he’s a terrific leader, and the guys gravitate towards him phenomenally, which is fantastic to see,” said Dravid told broadcasters after the match.

Dravid said India’s series win was dotted by several shining moments but acknowledged that the return of Ravichandran Ashwin from a personal emergency underlined the character of this outfit.

“I’d just say Ashwin coming back to the team after what he went through (as the stand-out moment). Ash wanting to come back and contribute to the team… I think, for me, it signified what this team is about and what the character of this team is.

“I think that was just for me, probably the standout moment of the series. It really gladdens your heart as a coach to the kind of environment that that had been created,” said Dravid.

Ashwin had to leave for Chennai because of a family emergency on the second day of the Rajkot Test, but the veteran off-spinner rejoined the action on the fourth day of the third Test.

There have been talks about the doors of the Indian team being shut now for players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer after they defied the BCCI diktat to play in Ranji Trophy.

But Dravid did not buy into that.

“Rohit and I are selecting playing 11. Sometimes even I don’t know who is contracted and who is not. So, no one is out of the mix as far as we are concerned,” Dravid later said in the post-match press conference.

Kuldeep Yadav twinkled radiantly with his left-arm wrist spin besides chipping in with some handy runs lower down the order.

Dravid was chuffed to see the wholesome improvement in Kuldeep.

“It’s been tough on Kuldeep Yadav. He’s been bowling at a time when two legends (Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja) are playing for the team. He brings the X-Factor to the team. He has also worked hard on his batting which has been a bonus,” said the former Indian captain.

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur recently urged the bigwigs to look into the hectic Ranji Trophy schedule, which he said has been putting a lot of pressure on the players.

Taking a serious note of the call, Dravid the players’ views should be considered sooner than later.

“We need to hear the players. They are the ones putting bodies on the line. If they are saying (about a busy schedule), we need to see how to manage the domestic schedule better,” he added.

Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are seen on day 1 of the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

After playing a pivotal role in restricting England to 218 by taking five for 72, Kuldeep Yadav was quick to acknowledge the contributions of seniors like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in Dharamsala.

Underplaying his efforts on the day, Kuldeep said, “I have been playing international cricket for 7 years and I have played a lot with Ash and Jaddu bhai. In some series, there were not many opportunities (for me). I have learnt a lot from Ashwin and Jadeja. In Hyderabad, I had a long chat with Ash bhai and he told me the changes that I needed to make in terms of the mindset. He gives a lot of ideas and he’s a special player.”

Asked about him and Ashwin prompting each other to lead the team into the dressing room after England’s innings, Kuldeep said, “I wanted him to lead the team since it was his 100th Test. But Ash Bhai reminded me that he had 35 balls (with which he took five or more wickets in a Test innings) and told me to keep this one and walk on.”

Kuldeep once again underplayed his effort of becoming the fastest to get 50 Test wickets in terms of the deliveries bowled. “I don’t think too much about records because they are meant to be broken. You are playing for India and you only want to put your skills to test. A lot of players don’t get opportunities, so I am grateful and lucky to have played for the country. I always want to contribute to the team’s success.”

Earlier, England’s assistant coach Marcus Trescothick admitted that his team did not put enough runs on the board. However, he did not miss the opportunity to sound rather brazen.

“We are a very unique side in how we go about things. I don’t think we will study what India does too much. We don’t get too down when we have bad days, we don’t get too high when we have good days.

“You just have to stay level and recognise what you can do better. Hopefully, we come back and improve,” he signed off.

Mighty impressed with Ravichandran Ashwin’s range, aggressive mindset and relentless pursuit of wickets, senior England batter Joe Root has said that the veteran Indian off-spinner is a constant threat who hardly believes in the concept of wearing the opposition down.

Ashwin, who recently went past the 500-wicket milestone in the traditional format becoming only the second Indian after Anil Kumble to do so, will play his 100th Test during the fifth match against England, starting on March 7 at Dharamsala.

“Ashwin is always trying to find ways of getting you out rather than trying to wear you down, over long periods of time,” Root said on Sky Sports cricket podcast hosted by former England captains Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain.

Root, who along with his teammates is currently enjoying a break in the series, said the infinite variety that Ashwin has in his bowling keeps the batters guessing.

“He uses creases differently from traditional off-spinners. He uses over-spin, side-spin, can get really tight to the stumps, can go wider and he has got the carrom ball, you know, a lot of different tricks.

“So, you will have to be really wary of different threats that he poses and make sure that you have very good skill sets to counter (him) and be on top of him,” said the ex-England skipper.

Giving an insight into the way Ashwin operates, Root said the Tamil Nadu man often bowls six different deliveries in an over.

“Ashwin is making sure that you don’t play the previous ball. He is very good at trying to drag you across the crease and get your head to one side of it and beat both edges quite frequently,” he said.

Root said Ashwin poses different threats while bowling with new and old balls.

“There are different things to contend with because of his seam position and how cleverly he can move around the shiny side that has got some extra skid.

“So, you have to make sure that you are in position a little bit quicker. He can also drift the ball away and bring the slip fielder into play,” he explained.

Root also offered a comparison between Ashwin and Nathan Lyon, the other premier off-spinner of this generation. The 36-year-old Australian has taken 527 wickets from 128 Tests.

“With Lyon it is all about, I think, especially in the first half of the Test match, to get over the top of the ball, get the bowl bounce, knee roll high, in between and try to bring short leg and leg slip into the game as much as he can.

“Then just slowly, get slower with his pace and drift wider into that. There are those footmarks, you know, Mitchell Starc has so kindly done for him for such a long period of time,” added Root.

England’s much-talked-about ‘Bazball’ approach has not really worked in this series against India, where the visitors are currently trailing 1-3.

But Root said frustration has not seeped into the England camp as yet.

“Don’t think there is too much frustration within the team. Our top order has been far more consistent than it has been for long, long years. But this part of the world can be quite tricky to do that (attacking batting), especially in the second innings.

“But the bigger picture is not about how we can blast ahead but to find the best in our game. There will be times when we need to play a bit pragmatic, but this team does not regret and we need to learn from every opportunity,” he detailed.

Jonny Bairstow, who is set to play his 100th Test in Dharamsala, has struggled with the bat, managing just 170 runs from four Tests and he is yet to score even a fifty.

However, Root backed his fellow Yorkshire man to come good sooner than later.

“I came across him when he was 12 at a Yorkshire scholarship programme with the rest of the boys. He was a superstar even then and had this tough task of living up to the name of his father (former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow).

“But Jonny has always excelled and went from strength to strength. He wears his emotions on his sleeve,” said Root.

Jasprit Bumrah returns to the Indian squad for the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley

Senior India batter KL Rahul will not feature in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala owing to an injury while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will return to the team, the BCCI said on February 29.

Rahul, who continues to feel sore in his right quadriceps, has travelled to London to get an expert opinion on his injury.

The wicketkeeper-batter became unavailable after the series-opener in Hyderabad in January and as per the BCCI, he was 90 per cent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month.

“Mr. KL Rahul, whose participation in the final IDFC First Bank Test was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue,” the Board said in a release.

Meanwhile Bumrah, who was released from the squad for the fourth Test in Ranchi in line with the team’s workload management policy, will link up with the squad in Dharamsala for the final Test, beginning March 7.

India have already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, following the victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.

Rahul’s absence from the final Test means Rajat Patidar remained with the squad but the MP batter can’t be sure of his place in the playing eleven, having aggregated only 63 runs in six innings.

All-rounder Washington Sundar has also been released from the squad.

“He will join Tamil Nadu — his Ranji Trophy side — for their Ranji Trophy semifinal fixture against Mumbai, starting March 2, 2024. He will join the India squad after the completion of the domestic fixture for the fifth Test, if need be,” the BCCI said.

Rahul needs to be fully fit before the IPL where he will lead Lucknow Super Giants and is expected to bat in the middle order to bolster his chances of making the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean.

It is the same quadriceps injury that had sidelined Rahul for almost four months last year.

Having got injured during the IPL, Rahul returned to action during the Asia Cup in September last and made instant impact. In the Test tour of South Africa last year, Rahul was the only century-maker for India in the drawn series.

The BCCI also said senior pacer Mohammed Shami is recovering well after undergoing a surgery on February 26 for his right heel problem.

“He is recovering well and will soon head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to commence his rehabilitation process,” the Board said of Shami.

India’s updated squad for fifth Test

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.