Dravid to continue as coach despite sustained ICC Trophy drought; Split coaching, a good idea?

Rahul Dravid to continue as India coach despite sustained ICC Trophy drought; Should India try out split coaching?

BCCI decided to extend Rahul Dravid's tenure (Images ©BCCI)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially declared the extension of Rahul Dravid's tenure as India's head coach. The duration of this extension is yet to be specified, but it is anticipated to span at least until the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, affirmed that Dravid would receive the 'full backing' of the cricket board. Shah stated, "Team India is now a formidable unit across formats, and our top ranking in all three formats directly reflects his vision, guidance, and the roadmap he charted for the team."

Acknowledging the extraordinary performance in the World Cup, Shah added, "Having won 10 consecutive games before the final, our World Cup campaign was nothing short of extraordinary, and the head coach deserves appreciation for setting up the right platform for the team to flourish."

“Let the papers come officially from the BCCI” – Rahul Dravid

Regarding the duration of Dravid’s renewed contract, no official announcement has been made, leaving room for speculation. When questioned about the length of his contract, Dravid responded, "It’s not announced officially; I haven’t signed anything yet. Let the papers come officially from the BCCI."

Dravid acknowledged the demands of his role, expressing gratitude for his family's sacrifices and support. He stated, "As we embrace new challenges post the World Cup, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence."

The coaching staff, including batting coach Vikram Rathour, fielding coach T Dilip, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, will also continue their roles with Team India as the BCCI extends their contracts.

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India’s ICC Trophy Drought Persists in Dravid’s Tenure

Rahul Dravid assumed the coaching position, replacing Ravi Shastri after a disappointing ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2021, where India exited early in the Super 12 stage. During Dravid’s two-year coaching period, India ascended to the top of the Test, ODI, and T20I rankings.

However, India's prolonged wait for an ICC Trophy continued under Dravid's tenure. They faced defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England and finished as runners-up in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 ODI World Cup against Australia. Additionally, they suffered an away ODI series loss in Bangladesh in late 2022 and a rare ODI series loss at home against Australia. India was also knocked out of the Asia Cup 2022 in the Super 4 stage.

Given India's busy schedule, VVS Laxman, Chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), took over coaching responsibilities in Zimbabwe, Ireland, and some home series.

Rahul Dravid's India Coaching Record

Date	Opposition/Tournament	T20Is	ODIs	Tests
Nov-Dec 2021	New Zealand	India won 3-0		India won 1-0
Dec-Jan 2022	South Africa		India lost 3-0	India lost 2-1
Feb 2022	West Indies	India won 3-0		India 2-0
Feb-Mar 2022	Sri Lanka	India won 3-0		India won 2-0
Jun 2022	South Africa	Tied at 2-2
Jun 2022	Ireland	India won 2-0
Jul 2022	England	India won 2-1	India won 2-1	India lost resheduled 5th Test
Jul-Aug 2022	West Indies	India won 4-1	India won 3-0
Aug-Sep 2022	Asia Cup	Group stage exit
Sep 2022	Australia	India won 2-1
Sep-Oct 2022	South Africa	India won 2-1	India won 2-1
Oct-Nov 2022	T20 World Cup	Lost in semis
Dec 2022	Bangladesh		India lost 2-1	India won 2-0
Jan 2023	Sri Lanka	India won 2-1	India won 2-1
Jan-Feb 2023	New Zealand	India won 2-1	India won 2-1
Feb-Mar 2023	Australia		India lost 2-1	India won 2-1
Jun 2023	Australia			Lost WTC Final
Jul-Aug 2023	West Indies	India lost 3-2	India won 2-1	India won 1-0
Aug-Sep 2023	Asia Cup		India won

Sep 2023	Australia		India won 2-1
Oct 2023	ODI World Cup		Runners-up

Read More: T20 WC 2022, SF 2, IND v ENG: India succumb to humiliating 10-wicket defeat

Split Coaching Could Be a Solution with Separate Skills and Planning

The concept of split coaching, employing different coaches for the red-ball and white-ball formats (ODIs & T20Is), has not been a regular practice in Indian cricket. It has been sporadically implemented, typically during breaks.

Considering India's hectic schedule, there is merit in having different and refreshing mindsets. Former India player Harbhajan Singh suggested that players who have recently played might be better suited for T20 coaching. There are even rumours of India approaching Ashish Nehra for the T20I coaching role.

"I think for T20 cricket, there’s no harm in having a new captain, new coach because the volume of cricket is such that for one person to play or manage all three formats of the game is never going to be easy," quoted former head coach of India cricket, Ravi Shastri, during a virtual news conference in 2022.

This approach is not unprecedented; the 2022 T20 World Cup champions England follow a similar method, with Brendon McCullum handling Test cricket while Matthew Mott oversees the white ball formats. India could explore separating coaching responsibilities, with both Dravid and Laxman contributing. A different flavour and approach are always encouraging.

Dravid's first assignment will be India’s three-match away T20I series against South Africa, commencing on December 10 at Kingsmead in Durban.

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