[IN PICTURES] Team India head coach Rahul Dravid joins Test squad in Leicester

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has joined the Test squad in Leicester ahead of the four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire. The visitors will feature in the practice match at Grace Road in Leicester from June 24 to June 27.

Along with Dravid, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer also joined the Indian squad to begin preparations for the rescheduled Test, which will start in Birmingham on July 1.

All three were a part of the T20I series against South Africa at home that ended on Sunday (June 19). Most of the other members of the Test squad took a flight from India on June 16.

India will play a four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire. Pic: BCCI

On Tuesday (June 21), the BCCI shared pictures of Dravid interacting with members of the Indian team after having joined the squad in Leicester. The Indian cricket board shared the images with the caption:

“Look who's here! Head Coach Rahul Dravid has joined the Test squad in Leicester. 💪💪 #TeamIndia.”

Meanwhile, as per the latest reports, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to join the Indian Test squad in Leicester before the warm-up clash. He missed the flight on June 16 after having tested positive for COVID-19, but is said to have recovered now.

The rescheduled Test will start in Birmingham on July 1. Pic: BCCI

Opener KL Rahul, though, is set to miss out on the rescheduled Test due to a groin injury.

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“England is playing really well at the moment” - Rahul Dravid admits Birmingham Test will be a challenge

When India were in England last year, they won two of the four Tests before the last match got canceled due to COVID-19. Coach Dravid recently admitted that while England were slightly on the back foot during that series, they are a much stronger side now.

At a press conference on Sunday in Bengaluru, he stated about the England challenge:

“For us it is a one-off Test match, but it's WTC points. It's a series on the line for the guys who played a part in it [last year], and they are very keen to try and win that series and do well. So looking forward to that.”

He added:

“England is playing really well at the moment. I mean, they are playing really good cricket. It's probably a bit different to when we were there last year when England was probably a little bit on the back foot. But they have played a couple of good games (against New Zealand), and we have got a pretty good squad as well.”

Before taking on India, England will face the Kiwis in the third Test of the three-match series at Headingley in Leeds starting June 23. The hosts have already clinched the series, having won the first two Tests.