Asia Cup 2022: “Just because we lost a couple of close games, doesn't mean we are a terrible team” - Rahul Dravid backs Men in Blue despite recent defeats
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has asserted that a couple of losses in close matches in the Asia Cup 2022 doesn’t make them a terrible team. He pointed out that the margins in T20 cricket are very small and that, with a bit of luck, they could have been on the right side of the results.
After winning both their group matches in the Asia Cup, India went down to Pakistan and Sri Lanka by five and six wickets, respectively, in their Super 4 clashes. Pakistan’s one-wicket win over Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 7, in Sharjah, knocked India out of the race for the finals.
The Men in Blue are taking on Afghanistan in an inconsequential Super 4 match in Dubai on Thursday, September 8.
Speaking ahead of the game, Dravid’s opened up on India’s disappointing performance in the tournament. He told the host broadcaster:
“We’ve got to put things into perspective. In T20 cricket, the margins are so small. We've lost a few close games on a wicket where, honestly, it’s not been easy to defend. We’ve taken the game down to the last ball. I’m not using it as an excuse.
"We should have got over the line in at least one of those games. But, we still had to learn whether we had won those two games or not. Just because we have lost a couple of close games, doesn't mean we are terrible a team. We’ve been playing some pretty good cricket over the last 8-9 months,"the Indian legend added.
A look at our Playing XI for the game.
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Dravid admitted that injuries to key players did hamper their Asia Cup campaign. He also requested that people not overreact to the losses. The 49-year-old stated:
“A couple of injuries and illnesses mean that the balance of the team gets a little off. The whole thing is not to overreact about it. We can go to extremes at times; we tend to overreact with wins and with losses as well. The kind of environment that we are trying to create is a pretty balanced one, whether we win or lose.”
India went into the Asia Cup without the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, who were unavailable due to injury. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was also ruled out before the start of the Super 4.
“You're helping the captain to take his vision forward” - Rahul Dravid on his role as coach
Asked about his specific role in the team as head coach, Dravid stated that it is to support the captain and aid him in implementing his vision. He elaborated:
“My role as a coach is to provide good support for the captain. You're helping the captain to take his vision forward and help the team play freely. Once the guys cross the line, they have to do the job.
"The good thing about Rohit (Sharma) is that he's been very clear about what he wants to do and is very relaxed as a person. It's a privilege to work with these guys,” he added.
That's a fine 50-run partnership between @klrahul & @imVkohli 🙌🙌
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After the Asia Cup, India will take on Australia in three T20Is at home from September 20 to 25.