Rahul Dravid's audition as Indian head coach couldn't come soon enough

Rahul Dravid was Team India’s man for all seasons. No job was too low for his exalted status; no task too difficult to give up without a fight. As commentator and cricket pundit, Harsha Bhogle, famously said, “Ask Rahul Dravid to walk on water and he’ll say, ‘how many kilometres?’ ”

At that juncture, Rahul Dravid was still at the peak of his cricketing prowess, plundering each opposition into the ground. More importantly, he was ready to fulfil all duties asked of him, irrespective of whether he was equipped to do so.

Cut to 2021, and the former India captain’s aura hasn’t diminished. He is still not averse to moving out of his comfort zone for the betterment of the collective. And he has added another string to his bow: becoming one of the most venerated coaches in the game today.

Dravid’s stints with the India U19 side and ‘A’ teams haven’t gone unnoticed. Current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly waxed lyrical about his former teammate a couple of months ago, suggesting that Dravid had done a spectacular job in molding young players and preparing them for international cricket.

“Absolutely, that's why I say Rahul Dravid has done a great job at the NCA, because he looks after the second-string players,” Ganguly had said.

In further proof of his newfound stature, several reports have suggested that Rahul Dravid could be appointed as head coach for the Indian side that tours Sri Lanka in July. Juxtaposed with Sourav Ganguly’s comments, it seems like it was just a matter of time before Dravid was asked to take up the managing reins of the national team.

Ever since his appointment as director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Rahul Dravid has seen many budding cricketers come through the ranks.

Here are all the details: https://t.co/pEUp6JZKsc

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 20, 2021

Prior to that, he was head coach for the India ‘A’ and the U19 sides, grooming India’s next-gen cricketers. Emerging cricketers such as Abhimanyu Easwaran, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar have all been recipients of the former Indian batting great’s guidance and goodness.

For the most part, Rahul Dravid distinguished himself, often helping these youngsters combine their youthful exuberane with the grit and graft required for international cricket. It isn’t surprising then to see those who have worked with him, singing his praises.

“We are lucky to have Rahul Dravid as India A coach. He is pretty approachable and that is the best thing about him. We can call him anytime and that is something great about him. He has a lot of international experience and he can guide us to become better players. He gives us small tips that can make a huge difference,” Abhimanyu Easwaran had revealed in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.

Rahul Dravid has excelled in his role as Director of NCA

Over the years, Rahul Dravid, has been one of the most astute students of the game – something that has helped him assess the strengths and weaknesses of every protégé at his disposal. This has helped these cricketers attain more clarity about their game and devise a method that would work optimally.

More tellingly though, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain has, in sync with his international career, instilled the Indian team hopefuls with a steely determination.

To place things into context, Rahul Dravid was always looked upon as a cricketer that wasn’t as flamboyant as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag or VVS Laxman. Yet, whenever India found themselves backed into a corner, he was the go-to man.

Brian Lara has effusively praised Rahul Dravid previously

Brian Lara, too, has stated that he would’ve picked Rahul Dravid to bat for his life. In blunter terms, Rahul Dravid was an individual who, despite the innate talent at his disposal, was determined to succeed, rather than being destined to do so.

Evidence suggests that Rahul Dravid has seamlessly transmitted his performance and life mantra to the upcoming crop of cricketers. That these players, irrespective of the amount of domestic cricket they have played, have managed to make an instant splash on the international stage, is testament to the magic Rahul Dravid has worked.

Moreover, the Karnataka man has long been an advocate of aggressive cricket – something that directly correlates to preferring five bowlers in most international matches. Though the Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli era started with that particular tactic, it has died down a little lately.

Thus, on that front, Dravid could inject some freshness and impetus, considering it is a luxury India has at the moment.

The challenge now for Rahul Dravid would be to recreate his heroics as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Though he has plenty of precedent to fall back on, the trials and tribulations of being one of the primary decision-makers for Indian cricket isn’t too enviable.

Ravi Shastri’s term expires with T20 World Cup. With India in England through till September 6, Shastri unavailable for Sri Lanka tour. This is the stepping stone for Dravid to take over as chief coach from Shastri...if he wants it https://t.co/9SjzgNBlft

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 20, 2021

Furthermore, it would be intriguing to see if Rahul Dravid is indeed ready for the full-time gig with the national team. So far, he has remained coy on those speculations and has, rather carefully, steered himself away from any conversation of that sort.

There is also another predicament before Dravid can become the head coach of the Indian cricket team. And it revolves around the Indian ecosystem’s ability to find an adequate replacement for him at the India ‘A’ and U19 levels.

While there may be a temptation to throw Rahul Dravid into the deep end, the BCCI might also want to gauge if there exists another individual capable of replicating even a sliver of what the former skipper has done in his current role.

Can Rahul Dravid work his magic for the Indian cricket team too?

Either way, Rahul Dravid’s potential installation as head coach of the Indian cricket team seems a step in the right direction. Even during his playing days, Rahul Dravid always seemed like someone who would’ve wanted to stay connected with Indian cricket and, of course, enrich those around him with the experiences he garnered.

All those years ago, when Harsha Bhogle quipped Rahul Dravid would do anything (literally) for the team, he might not have envisioned that the latter would rock up and have the power to inspire and shape an entire generation of cricketers.

As far as walking on water is concerned, Rahul Dravid might still be content to do so, for he is indeed traversing into unknown territory. However, he also knows the skill-set he boasts and his unique propensity to get the best out of the resources at his disposal.

Whether Rahul Dravid is able to balance himself amid the tempest that is Indian cricket (as a coach) remains to be seen. Yet one feels his audition as the next coach of the Indian cricket team couldn’t come soon enough.