Who Will Be India’s Next Coach: Ravi Shastri, the former Indian coach received a lot of criticism during his tenure. He was the head coach of the side for 4+ years between July 2017-November 2021. India scaled a lot of heights during this period. They were easily the best Test team in this phase. The ODI team barring the semifinal exit in World Cup 2019 was a big force to reckon with. India’s T20I fortunes too kept growing until the first-round exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
For more Cricket News and Updates Join our Telegram Channel
The cry for Rahul Dravid as a coach:
Shastri did not choose to extend his contract nor the board was inclined to offer an extension. The BCCI managed to appoint Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach. All of India’s troubles were expected to end with his appointment as coach. Dravid taking over was seen as India’s magic wand to win ICC tournaments. The combination of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Dravid was expected to create wonders. Nobody though, could envision how everything would transpire.
India’s Test travails:
Rahul Dravid’s first overseas assignment as a coach was a tour to South Africa. India lost the second and the third Test to lose the series 1-2. It was India’s first series defeat in a while. The side later lost the impending fifth Test to England in June 2022 after being in a position of strength. India lost 3 successive overseas Tests after 8 years. India didn’t fare any better in his first ICC tournament as coach.
The side once again lost in the semis as they stuck to an archaic template. India played the same brand of cricket that the captain and coach wanted the side to get rid of. The cracks started to appear in his coaching style.
Lack of role clarity and continuity:
India under Dravid has fielded multiple captains and numerous players across formats. This has resulted in different players auditioning for different spots rather than players cementing their positions. Players like Sharma and Virat Kohli were rested after being picked for the ODI series against the West Indies.
In a World Cup year wherein players like them need game time, the obsession to experiment might cost them the trophy once again. India’s shoddy performance in the white-ball leg of the Windies tour has raised doubts over Dravid’s coaching stint. The 2023 ODI World Cup might well be the last of him as a coach.
Few proven names:
Before Dravid took over there was strong speculation surrounding Mahela Jayawardene’s candidature. The former Lankan skipper has a proven track record in franchise cricket. But he is believed to have turned down the offer. Ricky Ponting too expressed his inability to work as a coach of an international team owing to the demanding schedule. The likes of Stephen Fleming and Kumar Sangakkara can’t coach India as long as they are associated with an IPL team. It leaves the pool limited to just a select few names.
Who could India turn to for coaching the national side?
There are coaches like Trevor Bayliss who have successfully coached a national side. It was under Bayliss that England won their maiden ODI World Cup in 2019. England picked up Brendon McCullum’s brains to revamp their Test methods. India could take similar inspiration from someone like Eoin Morgan for white ball cricket. He was a shrewd leader of men and had sound tactical acumen. Morgan could be an interesting pick to coach the ODI and the T20I team.
India could turn to someone like AB de Villiers to guide the Test side. ABD was rated highly in the Test setup for his ability to change the game in a matter of a session. India needs a few outliers to change the way they play the game. The fans who are the side’s biggest stakeholders surely deserve a better brand of cricket from their highly loved side.
