Rahul Dravid on ‘Baseball’: ‘I can’t see any of my batters taking…’

NEW DELHI: England’s ‘Baseball’ strategy may not always be welcomed by Indian hitters, but head coach Rahul Dravid said that his side will not back down in the next five-match Test series, which gets off in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Dravid said that India aims to modify their strategies in response to the conditions that change throughout the series.
We’re not going to attempt to be really aggressive, in my opinion. I believe that we try to play the cards that are dealt to us and the circumstances warrant. However, if you look at our top six-seven batters, you’ll see that many of them are aggressive and upbeat by nature.Therefore, they won’t be trying to alter it in any specific manner. There will be a variety of scenarios where we could have to bat for extended stretches of time or try to advance the game.”However, I don’t see any of my batsmen looking defensive or going backward,” Dravid said in a Tuesday conversation.
Still, Dravid was very sure England would challenge the hosts hard throughout the series. The head coach was upbeat, expecting his players to use their past performance in similar circumstances to meet the challenge front-on.
“Watching them perform has been thrilling, and you can see that they’ve had success doing it. They’ve achieved success in Pakistan. They had triumphed in New Zealand and had an incredible series in the Ashes against Australia. Thus, we must show respect for it.However, we are aware that they will have difficulties in these circumstances since we are familiar with them. Our assault is well-versed in our vast experience. Knowing that we’ll be under pressure, I’m interested to watch how our lads react,” Dravid added.
Dravid also said that the five-game series would be a great way for Indian players, both established and up-and-coming, to reach significant benchmarks.
He emphasized the need of leaving a lasting impression, as India has more Tests in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle planned in the coming months.
“I think it’s important to let individuals play the manner they feel most comfortable. Their evaluation will be based on the outcomes they generate. They must, then, figure out how to play and go beyond it. However, they do have some positive experience.Men like Rohit have been in the game for a long time; Jaddu (Jadeja) and Ash (Ashwin) have been in the game for over ten years. KL (Rahul) has also been in the game for a long.
“”There is a lot of Test cricket (for us) over the next 12 to 18 months, so it’s a really good opportunity for them to set some good markers over the course of the next five games.” “It’s a really good opportunity for some of these young players, having had some taste of international cricket, to take the next steps.” I’m curious to follow their progress,” he said.
Due to personal reasons, star batsman Virat Kohli will miss the opening two Test matches against England.
Although the squad will miss Kohli’s presence and expertise, Dravid said that his absence presents an opportunity for another player to rise up and establish himself.
The fact that India would be playing a five-match Test series after a significant break thrilled the former skipper of India as well.
India’s most recent five-match series, which was played in a dispersed manner due to Covid fears, was against the same opponent during the pandemic period.
“We are eagerly anticipating this. Because England’s Test series is one of the most watched in the world, it’s always thrilling when they play. After a lengthy break, there should be five excellent Test matches.
“Both teams are likely to exchange a lot of punches. I really hope that you understand that we can get off to a quick start and maybe hit a few balls early on,” he said.