India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, believes that the Rohit Sharma-led squad is under no strain ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia on June 7 at the Oval. The 50-year-old stated that, for the first time, there is less excitement surrounding an ICC event as media briefings focus primarily on the Ashes 2023.
Notably, the Indian team arrived in London in three batches and worked diligently to adapt to the foreign environment. However, in contrast to other occasions, the focus in England was primarily on England’s one-off Test against Ireland and partly on the FA Cup final; consequently, the Indian cricketers haven’t confronted the pressure of winning an ICC Trophy, which is long overdue for them.
Rahul Dravid added that India’s appearance in the WTC final is the culmination of two years of hard work and that no one can take that away from them, even if they lose the championship match. However, he stated that the team will give their all to win their first ICC trophy in nearly a decade.
“No, absolutely not (whether the Indian team is under duress). In terms of trying to capture an ICC trophy, we experience no pressure. Obviously, it would be desirable to do so. It is undoubtedly gratifying to be able to win an ICC competition. But also in the context of things, you can see that this is the culmination of two years of hard work and a great deal of success that has brought you here. As a result, there are a number of positives to consider when assessing where you stand in the standings: winning series in Australia, drawing series here, and being very competitive everywhere this team has played in the last five or six years.
“These things will never alter, regardless of whether or not you have the ICC trophy. That is the true, broad picture. Nevertheless, it is great to be able to win any game of cricket you play. This is similar to the final of the World Test Championship, and it would be great to get them on the winning side,” Dravid was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.
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