[Watch] Rahul Dravid interacts with Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli during training session in Bengaluru ahead of IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test
Former Indian coach Rahul Dravid was recently spotted at the team's practice session in Bengaluru as they prepared for the opening game of the three-match Test series against New Zealand.
The series begins on Wednesday, October 16, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The second match is scheduled for Pune on October 24, while the series finale will be held in Mumbai, starting November 1.
On Sunday, October 13, Dravid was spotted chatting with captain Rohit Sharma, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, and former skipper Virat Kohli as they prepared for this important Test series. The atmosphere was relaxed as they shared some lighthearted conversation.
Here’s a video of the moment:
In November 2021, the former Indian cricketer was appointed the head coach of the men’s cricket team. During his tenure, India reached the finals of the World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The 51-year-old concluded his role on a high note, as India clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final earlier this year, marking his last assignment as head coach.
Dravid will return to his coaching role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after signing a multi-year contract to become the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals, starting from the 2025 season.
India clean-swept Bangladesh in their most recent Test series
Rohit Sharma and his team head into the New Zealand series after clean-sweeping Bangladesh in a two-match series. India achieved a commanding win in the first game, defeating Bangladesh by 280 runs, with Ravichandran Ashwin named the Player of the Match for his remarkable performance of 113 runs and six wickets.
In the second Test in Kanpur, rain played a significant role, with only 35 overs bowled on Day 1 and the following two days completely washed out. Despite these interruptions, the hosts successfully clinched the match by seven wickets.
India’s squad for the Test series against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), and Akash Deep.
Traveling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna.