Rahul Dravid: The mentor who can take Indian cricket to glory

Time to make this sight permanent?

Making it to the semi-finals was something that we as Indians never expected, did we? Leave aside the patriotic flare, going by the mayhem the Indian team had went through in the recent past, it was tough. But in the end we did pull it off. But what next? Off goes Duncan Fletcher, who could have actually been sacked during his tenure. There has been a lot of speculation on who will take over from Duncan. Seeing the chink which India has had in recent years there is certainly one man whose name has come up time and time again.

Kohli-Dravid combo?

How about Rahul Sharad Dravid, the man who has given it all serving Indian cricket. He has been an audacious customer right from the advent of his career. The blend of the super aggressive Virat Kohli and an equally cool Dravid can do wonders for Indian cricket. It would be silly if I go on and mention the stats to defend my point. Legends like Dravid do not need one. Again, the focus should be on competing in overseas conditions and who better than Dravid could give Indian cricket a smooth sail when it comes to playing abroad.

Not only Dravid can be a good coach, he can be a revelation when it comes to handling guys like Pujara, Rahane and KL Rahul. These guys have the spark but all they need is the right temperament and sharing the dressing room with a legend like Dravid would help them in a huge way. If somebody can bat scathing away deliveries that are an inch away from the off stump or ducking out bouncers without a single frown on his forehead, he has to be special.

Rahul’s successful tryst with the Royals

Now talking about Virat Kohli who is still very raw when it comes to captaincy, Dravid’s calmness would add that aura which will make Kohli flourish not only as a batsman but also as a leader. Rahul has shown that he has it in him to mentor a team. Rajasthan Royals are a prime example. They never had big names but the team has been a factory which has been producing flourishing talents over the years. Visualizing Dravid in the dug-out is a treat. Never ever have we seen a mentor as involved as this man has been doing with the Royals. An animated person with a certain level of aggression reflecting in his eyes which is equal to that of the guys fighting it out in the field is something refreshing to see.

Dravid has also contributed for Karnataka’s success indirectly over the years. They have dominated the domestic circuit and their players have come out all guns blazing in IPL too. It would be a bit startling but most of the Karnataka Ranji players have found themselves in the playing eleven for their respective franchisees in the ongoing IPL. If you can make a nobody into a somebody, then you deserve all the brownie points to be the next coach of the Indian cricket team.

Technically speaking Rahul Dravid understands cricket way better than anybody else in the world. He knows how to pick and choose a ‘team’. A team which can enthrall the world and a team for which winning would become a habit. The Indian test cricket team is in transition and they need somebody like Dravid to take over the reins and show them the path to success.