Rahul Dravid’s appointment as coach of the senior men’s Indian cricket team had an air of inevitability about it. This was a natural progression for the former India captain , who, after his retirement in 2012, dabbled in commentary before slipping into the mentor-cum-coach template . He guided the India under-19 squad, the ‘A’ team and helmed the National Cricket Academy in his hometown Bengaluru. It was all building up to the Indian squad’s coach’s seat , which was falling vacant following incumbent Ravi Shastri’s contract winding to a close at the culmination of the current ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, much like his steady batting that earned him the moniker ‘The Wall’, Dravid was in no hurry. He prefers the measured step and it is a trait that defined him right from his school days to the time he became one among the sport’s greatest batters, putting a heavy price on his wicket. A rounded personality, equally at ease on the ground or in the company of books, Dravid was always the team-man. He even donned wicket-keeping gloves in One Day Internationals just to lend balance to the playing eleven. He comes with the weight of great stature, the warmth of goodwill, and the pressure of expectations. This is not an easy position in a country where everyone has an opinion on everything about cricket.
Dravid the player batted with an in-the-trenches resolve defining his forays on the pitch. He was a remarkable close-in fielder too, an attribute that gets lost under his avalanche of runs. He remained an assertive captain and his act of declaring the Indian innings during the 2004 Multan Test against Pakistan, while Sachin Tendulkar neared his double century, remains one of the strongest team-first-records-later diktat ever issued in the annals of Indian cricketing history. But back then as a player or captain, Dravid was in control, but as a coach, his role is about getting the present skipper and the outfit ready for a contest besides finessing strategy. This is about transferring knowledge and hoping that his wards would deliver. It is tough, and in the past, men of pedigree such as Kapil Dev, Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble had a mixed run while evolving as the coach. India may have suffered a blip during the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE, and yet this is a core-unit that has done well in the previous months, both at home and overseas. Seen in that light, Dravid inherits the right mix. Yet, there are missing links. Recently, India has not won any significant ICC silverware while the triumphs in 1983, 2007 and 2011 seem distant. This should offer enough food for thought while the 48-year-old dons the coach’s hat.
