Indian head coach Rahul Dravid expressed great pride as he greeted the media after India’s 64-run win over England in the IND vs ENG 5th Test in Dharamshala. With the win, India clinched the series 4-1 after losing the first test at Hyderabad.
Rahul acknowledged the team’s resilience, crediting them for bouncing back admirably. Dravid highlighted the determination shown by the players, especially in difficult situations, and commended the support staff for their role in the turnaround.
I am really proud, to be honest, to have gone behind in the first test. Obviously, it was a little bit disappointing, but real credit to the team and all the players, for the way they bounced back. I thought we were able to keep a lot of calm despite losing that test match. We still believed that we had the skills and the abilities to compete. “
Just the way we performed, especially when we were put under pressure at various stages in the series, we always found people in the team to stand up. As a coach and as a support staff, I couldn’t be prouder of this team and the way they played right through the series.”
Rahul Dravid commends the efforts of Ajit Agarkar and the BCCI Selection Committee
Reflecting on the challenge of losing key players, he praised the depth of talent in India and observed its manifestation throughout the series. Dravid appreciated the selectors’ astute decisions in team selection.
“I’ve always believed that there’s an incredible amount of talent in India and a lot of young players coming through. It was a great opportunity for them to step up and show how good they are. We saw that right throughout the series. “
“From our perspective, it was both exciting and reassuring to see the young players perform well. Additionally, I thought our performances were all-around strong. We had total team efforts. If you look at our whole squad, you’d see almost everyone contributed at some stage in the series, especially at critical moments. That was a pleasing thing for us from our perspective.”
“I’d like to give a big shoutout to Ajit and his team as well. Many of the youngsters that come in, honestly, as a coach and as a captain, we don’t actually get to see them because we don’t see as much domestic cricket as Ajit and his team of selectors do.
They’ve pushed us and they’ve challenged us to pick some of these young players, and they’ve picked the right ones, and they’ve come out here and performed. Sometimes it’s not easy being a because you always get the criticism, but a big credit and a big pat on the back to Ajit and his team as well.”
He emphasized the multitude of standout performances, singling out Ravichandran Ashwin’s remarkable comeback after a tough 24 hours as a testament to the team’s character.
“It’s hard to pick just one standout moment. Perhaps I’d say Ashwin’s comeback after what he went through in the preceding 24 hours. Performances are expected, of course, but Ashwin’s determination to return and contribute to the team despite his challenges really epitomized the character of this team. For me, that was the standout moment of the series, and it truly warms your heart as a coach to see the environment that has been fostered.” Rahul concluded.
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