Rahul Dravid, former India captain and coach of the India-A and under-19 teams, spoke to the media about the ongoing India-Australia Test series, his coaching experience, and a lot more at the Guru Nanak College where he was the chief guest for the final of the Chennai leg of the Muthoot Finance Junior Super Kings T20 tournament on Saturday. Excerpts:
On Pujara doing well
I don’t like this comparison (when asked if he sees a bit of himself in Pujara). Each one is different. But he’s been brilliant in the series. Touch wood, India go on to win tomorrow (Sunday). He, then, would’ve played two match-winning innings in two Test matches that India has won. That’s what it’s all about. At the end of the day, you want to produce a match-defining or a match-turning innings. I think it’s terrific, the way he’s come back after not being picked for the first Test match in the UK.
On India’s quality bowling attack
It’s fantastic to see the kind of bowling we’ve been doing. We’ve consistently been taking 20 wickets, and we look like taking 20 wickets in every Test. When you start a Test knowing your bowling attack can take 20 wickets, it gives you a huge fillip.
At the moment, we’ve got four or five guys (fast bowlers). The bench strength in the fast bowling department is pretty good. You’ve got (Mohammed) Siraj performing really well at the A-level. Navdeep Saini and Ankit Rajpoot have been doing well. It’s nice to see Varun Aaron taking wickets in the domestic scene again. There are guys coming through. But you need to keep working on it. That’s the thing with fast bowling, and you’ve got to ensure you’ve got enough people (as backup).
On what differentiates top players at the highest level
There’s a lot more to cricket than just skills. A lot of the game, as you go higher and higher, is about the mind — the mental side of the game. You need to understand your personality well. After a point, the difference between each one of you will become less. The people who will stand out are those who can handle the pressure better.
You have to start thinking about how your mind works as it will be the differentiating factor as you go higher and higher in the ranks. Virat Kohli has as much skills as a lot of other people, but he is mentally tougher than everyone else. He knows his game better than everyone else.