Shankar and Aparajith excited to have Dravid as coach

India A team is eager to learn from Dravid

As the legendary Rahul Dravid is now all set to coach the India A side, the youngsters couldn’t be more excited. The first matches that the team will be playing under Dravid’s guidance will be the two four-day games against Australia A in Chennai later this month.

Two Tamil Nadu players in this team, Vijay Shankar and B Aparajith, have played alongside Dravid before, and are now excited to have him as their coach. In June 2012, in the TNCA first division league final, Rahul played alongside the duo. Three months after his retirement from international cricket, Dravid lent his expertise to a team with an already strong line-up. The team, of course, won.

Aparajith is eager to know what Dravid thinks of his game. "I still don't know what to expect though," Aparajith told ESPNcricinfo. "I am going to be open and listen to what he has got to say. Anything small from him is going to be a big thing for me." Aparajith is doubtful if there will be time for fine discussion and nitty-gritty thought. “It's going to be match-based, so I am not sure how much (any conversation on) technical correction is possible. Maybe close to the tournament, I will discuss with him things that are on the top of my head at that point. I am not predetermining anything now”, he said.

Shankar is a brilliant player with impressive stats. The Tamil Nade side reached the Ranji Trophy finals, and Shankar made his mark. He knocked off 577 at an average of 57.70. He hit 111, 82 and 91 in the quarter-final and semi-final. He is still pleasantly shocked by Dravid as coach. "I didn't know how to react. It's a very big thing”, he revealed to the website.

“Last time when I met him (Dravid), I was asking him about converting starts. I would just love to work with him. Whenever we go there and practice I am sure he's going to give some input and I am just keen on noting it down. I hope there will be enough practice sessions so that he will have time to see how we are batting. I have been batting well in the recent past. But whenever I get a start, I get out for 80 or 90. I just want to make sure when I get a start, I want to make it really big. Definitely, I look at it (the selection) as one more step towards the senior team. Whenever we go out and play, we put ourselves under some pressure. But last year, I just wanted to enjoy myself. Obviously pressure is going to be there, but I look at this series as an opportunity to gain enjoyment and good experience," he told the site.

Apaprajith has not had as good a run as Shankar as he scored 553 runs, at an average of 29.10. But he sounded confident while speaking to the website about the new season. “It's a fresh start for us, a season opener of sorts. I have analysed what I need to do. There is no specific area (of improvement). The reason why I failed last season could be because of a thought-process mistake. Nothing to do with my skill alone, [except] maybe in one or two games. Every game I need to set pattern for long innings. Last season, I didn't find the pattern or rhythm. Once I make it a habit, I will be more consistent."