India's Test batting is a work in progress, says Dravid
What's the story
Former India cricketer Rahul Dravid has stated that the current team's batting, in Tests, is a work in progress. The India A and India U-19 coach feels that since a lot of white-ball cricket is being played, it has resulted in a big gap between India's ODI squad and the Test team. Here's what the legend had to say.
Thoughts
Work constantly needs to happen: Dravid
Dravid addressed the situation surrounding Indian batsmen in the 5-day format. He said, "Work constantly needs to happen. It is not a one-time thing or a two-year thing. In red-ball cricket, we have talent and decent backups, but again it is a work in progress." He felt that the process should be tightened and made more robust at India A and India U-19 levels.
Shorter formats
A lot of practice for shorter formats
Dravid told The Week, that a lot of training for shorter formats makes the Indians superb in colored clothing cricket. "It's the amount of white-ball cricket and, therefore, the hours of short-format training that make the Indians so good in one-day international and Twenty20 International cricket. Not to forget the bench strength, which is quite well rounded."
Limited-overs
India's limited-overs show outside the subcontinent has been impressive
India have been doing well in ODIs and T20Is and performances outside the subcontinent have been praiseworthy. But the same cannot be said about Tests. India lost against South Africa 1-2, before being decimated by England 1-4 in Tests, this year. In the same tour, they won the ODIs and T20Is against Proteas. Against England, they pocketed the T20Is but lost the ODI series.
Personal
Only Kohli has been superb in Tests outside home
Only Virat Kohli has done well outside the subcontinent in Tests. He amassed 879 runs this year across 8 Tests in South Africa and England. Besides him, nobody else has come up and taken the mantle to show some teeth.