NEWS
Follow UsIndia missed the services of the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, and Rishabh Pant but still managed to turn it around against England with the help of young and experienced players. Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, and Kuldeep Yadav shone through whereas the seasoned duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja didn’t allow England any opportunity to settle down as the hosts secured a 4-1 series victory.
That pleased the management big-time, but the selectors’ contribution in identifying the talents and backing them through and through was not very pronounced. India’s Head Coach Rahul Dravid applauded Ajit Agarkar and his team for being brave in their approach.
"I'd just like to give a big shoutout to Ajit and his team as well. A lot 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,” Rahul Dravid said in the post-match interview.
“And 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. So sometimes it's not easy being a selector because you always get the criticism but a big credit and a big pat on the back to Ajit and his team as well."
When India lost the Hyderabad Test, there was a lot of chatter about their ability to withstand the pressure of Bazball and if they could win matches on non-turning wickets. While the natural response would have been to go back and make rank-turners, India decided to keep things normal - and that worked out well.
“Proud of the team. To go behind in the first Test was disappointing but to bounce back was great. We have always found people to step up. In various situations, we have been put under pressure. Obviously, we missed a few key players, but we believe there is an incredible amount of talent in India,” the former Indian skipper added.
“Terrific to see youngsters do well. Performances were all-round as went down our whole squad, that was the pleasing thing. I have the privilege of working with a lovely team, it's not just about me. I am learning from them all the time. Rohit has been fantastic to work with. He is a terrific leader. The guys gravitate towards him phenomenally, which is fantastic to see.”
When asked to pick one moment that stood out for him, Dravid said, "Great performances all through, hard to pick. Maybe I will say Ashwin coming back to the team after what he went through after 24 hours and wanting to come back and contribute for the team I think really signifies what this team is about and the character of the team."
