As India head coach Rahul Dravid gears up for his first major assignment in South Africa, former India cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi believes that the upcoming bilateral series will be an acid test for the legendary cricketer-turned-coach, given the latest captaincy controversy.
Recently, Rohit Sharma was appointed Team India’s ODI captain after he was given the T20I captaincy following Virat Kohli’s resignation after the T20 World Cup 2021.
But before India’s departure to South Africa, Kohli’s shocking revelations over captaincy changes created controversy, which hasn’t only disturbed the fans and experts, but also the team’s atmosphere.
Reacting to the same, Sodhi said that Kohli has a bigger challenge to uplift the team following the latest controversy and that he will first address any strife between Kohli and Rohit, although the Test skipper reiterated that there are no differences between them.
Sodhi told India News: “He has a bigger challenge because of the recent controversies that have happened, to uplift the team after that. It is an acid test for Rahul Dravid. If we talk about Rohit and Virat, to make them stand together and get the partnership back, if there is a difference of opinion between them, so Rahul will be addressing that first.”
He also mentioned that Dravid will have to make India’s batting unit stronger in overseas conditions, as they are set to play a three-match Test series against South Africa, starting on December 26 in Centurion.
He added, “This tour which will be in different conditions, how our batters excel in South Africa. South Africa has a good bowling lineup and Rahul Dravid will have to work a lot there.”
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Sodhi continued, “We have done well in the home series but now it is the acid test. If Rahul can get his team to do well here, the great respect he has in the entire world as a player, it will grow a lot as a coach also. So yes, a big test for Team India and a very big Test for Rahul Dravid.”
However, the Indian team hasn’t yet won a Test series in South Africa, but Sodhi is confident that the tourists can make history under Dravid this time.
He signed off by saying, “The sort of team we have and the way Rahul Dravid encourages them, the way he is balanced, I feel India will definitely hand a big defeat to South Africa in their own backyard.”
