India’s opening fixture in the ODI World Cup is against five-time champions Australia on Sunday, October 8, in Chennai. A couple of days ahead of the encounter, the head coach of the ‘Men in Blue’, Rahul Dravid, was asked about India’s debacle in the 2007 ODI World Cup under his leadership.
Rahul Dravid led a team that comprised legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender Sehwag, and talented youngsters like Yuvraj Singh, and MS Dhoni, among others in the Caribbean, in the ninth edition of the marquee event. Their campaign started with an unexpected loss to Bangladesh.
Dravid and Co. bounced back with a huge win against Bermuda, but a subsequent loss to Sri Lanka resulted in a group-stage exit which gave rise to severe criticism back home. Now, Dravid is wearing the coach’s hat and is all set to work with captain Rohit Sharma to help India end their ICC trophy drought.
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However, the 50-year-old was asked about the forgettable performance of the Indian team under his leadership in the World Cup in 2007. Dravid, who is known for his witty replies, dodged the question, shifting focus on the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, rather than going back in time.
“It is a long time since I was a player. I almost forgot that I was actually a cricket player at one stage to be very honest with you. I have moved on from that. I don’t think of myself as a player anymore. Maybe that’s the mind-space difference. I am focused on helping the group to do the best they can,” Rahul Dravid was quoted as saying by India Today.
Rahul Dravid 🗣️:
“I’ve forgotten I was a cricketer”
Conclusion Of The Rahul Dravid Statement;
– Rahul Dravid was the Captain and they lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka !!
– In 2007 WC India got eliminated early in Group Stage Form the tournament.
#PAKvNED #JENNIE #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/FtHkZhjIDO
— Mr Uzi (@Mr_Uziii) October 7, 2023
“I mean in the end that’s the job of the support staff, the job of the coach really is to support the vision of the captain and help him execute his vision over the course of the next couple of months and hope we can do that really well,” he added.
Dravid’s response is understandable. He has moved on from his playing days and is now focused on helping the Indian team win the World Cup. He is also aware that the team is under a lot of pressure to perform well, and he doesn’t want to distract them by talking about the past.
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It will be interesting to see how India perform in the World Cup this year. They have a very strong team, but they will need to play at their best if they want to go all the way.
