Rahul Dravid remains confident that India can turn things around and secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final. Following a decisive 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle, the Shubman Gill-led side boosted its points percentage from 48.14% to 53.33%.
While India currently holds fifth place in the standings, the former captain believes the team has enough matches left and the talent to bridge the gap.
“I’m hoping they do. It’ll be a great run if India can qualify for the WTC final from here. They’ve fallen behind a little bit, but the kind of quality that the Indian team has, you’re not going to write them off at any stage. They started well against Sri Lanka, so that’s a good first step,” Rahul Dravid told JioHotstar.
India has seven Test matches remaining in the current cycle, giving them a clear path to accumulate the points needed for the top two spots. Dravid noted that while the squad has fallen behind slightly, writing off a quality Indian team would be a mistake. Taking an early lead in the Sri Lanka series serves as a solid first step in their recovery process.
However, the road ahead includes major tests both away and at home. In November, India will head to New Zealand for a two-Test series. The last time India toured the country, they suffered a 2-0 defeat, making this upcoming trip a critical hurdle.
Dravid pointed out that playing in New Zealand conditions is always tough, especially for a younger squad. The roster is currently transitioning without veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, all of whom carried extensive experience from past overseas tours.
“New Zealand away is always a challenge. (They are a) tough team to play away from home. A lot of the young Indian boys have not played in those conditions, so that’s going to be a big challenge,” Dravid added.
Keeping the core group healthy and injury-free over the coming months will be essential for their success.
Following the New Zealand tour, India returns home in January to face Australia in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Dravid expects a fierce contest against an Australian squad determined to prove itself on Indian soil.
Despite their recent international success, this current generation of Australian players has yet to win a Test series in India, giving them extra motivation to push hard.
“Australia will be really exciting. A lot of their players will be very keen to do well in India. That’s a generation of truly great Australian players, a great Australian team that has not won in India. So they’ll be keen to do that,” Rahul Dravid added.
Ultimately, India’s fate rests in their own hands. There are seven Tests on the horizon, two in challenging overseas conditions at New Zealand and five against another WTC winners at home. It’s this final stretch that will decide if India will head to the Oval.
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