South Africa vs India: KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal spoke candidly about the “helpful” presence of coach Rahul Dravid so far with the Indian team, ahead of a crucial Test series against hosts South Africa.
India vice-captain for the Test series, KL Rahul, along with opening batter Mayank Agarwal shared their experience of being coached by Rahul Dravid. Rahul and Mayank, who share a strong bond on and off the field since their early playing days, reflected on the short time that Dravid has been part of the team management and the kind of structure and attitude he is looking to bring to the squad. In a video posted on BCCI.tv, both players hailed the efforts of Dravid and termed it as “helpful” and a “boost” to have the experienced former captain with them for such a crucial tour.
Speaking on the topic, Rahul highlighted how Dravid’s prior experiences as a player were coming in handy for them.
“Having Rahul Dravid with us this time is very helpful. He has played a lot of cricket here, he has scored a lot of runs. In the three or four days of training that we have had, he has had a lot of experiences to share and he is really helping us prepare the best we can. That’s a huge boost for us,” KL said.
Rahul also included Mayank in the conversation and pointed out how Dravid was a part of his cricketing circles since his India ‘A’ days and how it molded him into the cricketer he is now.
“I think you’ve [Mayank Agarwal] had a great experience with him playing in the India As and you’ve played a lot of cricket under him,” Rahul added.
Mayank gave his insight on how Dravid goes about imparting confidence in a player.
According to the opener, Dravid helps a player focus on his individual game, his flaws and especially his mind space which in turn allows the player to figure out where he stands in relation to his game.
“For me personally, he has just been a person who talks about understanding your game, understanding yourself and understanding your mind space. If you can work that out, sort that out then more often than not you are giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed,” Mayank said.
Mayank also revealed that Dravid stresses on “good, strong preparation” ahead of important matches and tours.
“Knowing him, he is a man who really thrives and puts the onus on good, strong preparation. We’ve had quality sessions over here [South Africa] and we are really looking forward to playing the Test match,” Mayank added.
Both Rahul and Mayank are part of Team India’s squad that will take on South Africa in a three-match Test series beginning December 26 in Centurion.