With Ravi Shastri retiring from his role of head coach for the Indian main team, it seems like a clear choice to appoint Rahul Dravid as the new head coach for Team India. Dravid who was the coach of India’s under 19 squad, and later India’s second team who faced Sri Lanka in a T20 series earlier in the year, has proven his worth and his skills as a coach.
It still remains to be finalised who will take up the spot, but Dravid seems to be the frontrunner and the most logical choice so far.
The former director of BCCI’s National cricket academy, has been in talks with the BCCI for a few months now regarding the subject. The final choice is yet to be made by the BCCI officials. There are big shoes to be filled, no matter who is selected. Shashtri who has been the coach now for around 4 years, has played a vital role in India’s success and dominance in the game of cricket.
The Indian team is currently on the verge of becoming the greatest ever eternal comeback team. India won the Oval Test for the first time in 50 years after that fourth test. They were on the verge of grabbing a 2-1 lead in the five-match test series with that victory.
From beginning to end, it was a fantastic team effort. Everyone has impressed, whether it’s Rohit Sharma or Jasprit Bumrah in the lower order. India will take control of the series with one more win, while a loss will see the trophy split between the two nations.
Man of the Match was to Rohit Sharma for his brilliant maiden overseas century, which came at a crucial time for the team.
Before the start of the last test, the visitors were met with yet another unwelcome circumstance, when another member of the Indian team was found to be positive.
As previously reported, on the fifth day of the fourth test, Indian Team Head Coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for covid, putting him in isolation. 2-3 more members were also isolated with him for their own safety.
The Indian team’s instructional meeting scheduled for the day before the final Test of the five-match series at Old Trafford has been cancelled as a result of another member of the Indian medical team testing positive for Covid-19 in Manchester. The Indian squad members have been asked to return to their hotel rooms until further notice, according to ESPNcricinfo.
A member of Indian coaching staff has been tested positive for COVID-19, training session has been cancelled. (Source – Espn Cricinfo)
The most recent positive case is thought to have occurred following a new round of testing on Wednesday evening; the group had prepared on Wednesday morning as planned.
The final test will take place in Manchester on September 10th.
India, led by Virat Kohli, put on a strong performance against England in the fourth Test match at The Kennington Oval. In the second inning, the visitors roared back after a poor first inning.
The game was won by 157 runs. With this special victory in London, the visitors now lead the Test series 2-1. The victory must have given the visitors a great deal of confidence.
India will aim to win this series in a big way. The fifth and final Test will be held on September 10 at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. The bad news is coming from the Indian camp.
According to media reports, the presence of Indian captain Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri at a public event in the city last week sparked outrage within the dressing room.
At the same time, the BCCI, India’s governing body, attacked the head coach and skipper. Ravi Shastri tested positive for a novel Coronavirus pandemic on Sunday.
The bowling and fielding coaches for Team India, namely Bharat Arun and R Sridhar, received positive results on Monday. “The BCCI is learned to be peeved with Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for attending public events in London last week,” as reported by TOI.
On the other hand, pictures of Shastri, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara at a book launch in London have gone viral online. These photos have also been received by the BCCI.
As per the report shared by the Times of India, BCCI is livid with Kohli and Shastri. “The board will probe the matter. This incident has left the board embarrassed.
The coach and captain will be asked to explain the circumstances after the fourth Test at Oval. The team’s administrative manager Girish Dongre’s role is also under the scanner,” a source close to the BCCI told TOI.
“The BCCI is in touch with the ECB and trying to ensure the series is completed without any further incidents. As of now, everyone is hoping that Shastri recovers soon. There is a selection meeting for the T20 World Cup on Wednesday. Maybe the matter will be raised there,” the official added.
During the Test series, Kohli and Shastri’s careless activity would have adversely affected everyone’s health. It would have brought an end to the whole series.
Shastri’s Coronavirus test results have not yet been confirmed. Many believe, however, that he contracted the illness from the lift in his hotel, which was used by other guests.
India lost the third Test against England at Headingley. The visitors won brilliantly at Lord’s. Nevertheless, this match was not the game, and the Indian side had no answer for their opponents. Kohli and co. couldn’t handle the challenges they faced. From the very beginning, after Virat Kohli won the toss and chose to bat, it was apparent.
Being out for just 78 runs on the very first day of a Test match is always unfortunate. It can also be frustrating to go into a bowling match and not pick up wickets. As Team India struggled with this issue throughout the Test, England came out to bowl a second time once they had completed their innings. The visitors lost by an innings and 76 runs.
How Virat Kohli Kept His Cool After The England Loss
India was easily defeated in this game. Virat Kohli and his team did not address the opposition’s questions. During the press conference following the game, something similar was seen. The Indian skipper appeared calm and relaxed. He wasn’t as arrogant as usual. It was a crushing defeat for the team.
As Joe Root had done, Virat Kohli also accepted responsibility for his mistake after the last Test match. In some cases, the media went too far when asking questions, so he was analyzing a few things further.
King Kohli kept his cool and his video was shared on social media platforms like Twitter. Below is the Tweet –
In a sense, it's a classic Twitter moment. Person with zero knowledge & zero self-awareness tries to give random gyan to actual practitioner.pic.twitter.com/P3FoLVxllD
As the series stands at 1-1 heading into the fourth test against England, what are Team India’s next steps?
The Indians should ignore this match and focus on the two games to come. If they dwell too much on the past and fail to address the issues at hand, they will lose this series. It has happened in the past as well. To compete against England, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri will need to get the team in the right frame of mind.
This is more than just a normal series. Wars are raging! As a result, teams will want to prove their worth to their fans, who will have high expectations of them. It would be rather embarrassing for either side to lose from here on. Surely they won’t want to lose.
India’s fans will be hoping that Team India delivers when it counts. Kohli will also work on improving his own form. He managed to score some runs in the second innings at Headingley. As a result, he should be able to carry it forward into his future games. Let’s see what Team India does next!
In 2014, Shastri joined the Indian side as the director. In 2017, he became the full-time coach of the Men in the blue side. Ravi Shastri has successfully guided the Indian team so far. As India coach, he replaced Anil Kumble.
After his brilliant leadership, now, a shocking report has surfaced regarding Shastri’s presence. BCCI is looking forward to a new coaching team to help the Indian team, according to resources.
The Indian Express reported that the management was seeking a new group. In light of the data, the new coaching team may be in place by the end of the year following the ICC T20 World Cup.
On 14th November 2021, the mega ICC event will conclude. Many fans feel that there is only one person who can fill that role at the moment – Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid has done a great job nurturing the young cricketers
Rahul Dravid is a perfect replacement for Ravi Shastri. Coach Dravid have trained the Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour in 2021. India won the ODI series 2-1 under his guidance. In the aftermath of the positive COVID tests in the bubble, India lost the T20 series by 1-2 to the host nation.
Dravid demonstrated his skills brilliantly against a young side. When he is given the chance to coach the first-string side, he can turn the tide in India’s favor.
