India head coach Rahul Dravid said on Monday that playing the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia just one week after the end of the IPL will be a very tough task. After Shubman Gill’s brilliant 118, Virat Kohli hit his first Test century in more than three years. India’s strong response to Australia’s high first innings score of 480 helped them tie the fourth and final Test and win the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1. On the last day, just after lunch, reports came in that Kane Williamson’s great hundred gave New Zealand an exciting two-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Christchurch. This made it possible for India to reach their second straight WTC final.
The Indian head coach called it a “challenge” and said they must plan it well.
“We just made it today at lunchtime. I wasn’t sure what would happen before it did. Dravid said we’d start by having a party after the Test match.
“It’s not going to be easy. Since the IPL final is only a week before the WTC final, there will be a lot of planning to do. We’ll give it some thought.” From June 7 to 11, the WTC final will be played at London’s The Oval, while the IPL will end on June 1.
Dravid was most impressed by the Indian team’s ability to return from horrible situations in the Test series against Australia.
“When we had no choice, and our backs were against the wall, we had to act, and we always did. It’s one of the things about coaching this team that gives me hope, “Dravid said.
“Rohit’s hundred was the best of the first Test, and Virat Kohli’s 186 was the best of the second. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shubman all did well in the middle. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some. I think that our fight was notable.” India won the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi, but Australia got one back in Indore. Each of the first three games in the series lasted two and a half days and had tricky wickets.
But the pitch for the series-deciding fourth Test was good for batting, so when Australia won the toss, they batted first and put up a big score thanks to centuries from Usman Khawaja (180) and Cameron Green (114).
“It was a hard-fought series. There were times when an outstanding cricket team put us under a lot of pressure, and we could handle it. We always found that person when we needed someone to step up and do a great job.” I have the freedom to be creative because of Jadeja and Ashwin. The Player of the Series award was given to both R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin, a veteran off-spinner, took 25 wickets and scored 86 runs in the series. Jadeja, a left-arm spin bowler who can also bat and field, took 22 wickets and scored 135 runs, including one half-century.
“We’ve come a long way together. Without each other, we wouldn’t be the same. He lets me use the ball in many different ways on the field. Good for him. In the Delhi Test, he bowled very well. We’re here because of that, ” Ashwin said about Jadeja.
Jadeja said they work well together on the field and always talk about the game.
“We always talk about the wicket and how the field should be set up for certain batsmen. We always talk and talk about things.” Jadeja said, though, that he could have made more runs.
“I’m unhappy with how I’ve hit so far in this series. I’ve missed a few times. Even more so for this game. I hope to work harder for the next series and pay more attention to my batting,” “he said.
