Dravid acknowledged that winning tournaments requires not only skill but also a bit of luck, which can play a significant role in the outcome of big matches.
To emphasise this point, Dravid recalled two finals during his nearly three-year tenure as Team India head coach—one in Ahmedabad and the other in Barbados. The first was the 2023 World Cup final on Nov 19, when Travis Head survived a probing spell from India’s newball pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami before his 137-run knock broke a billion Indian hearts.
“I’ve had time to reflect on it… You realize sometimes you have to do everything right, but luck plays its part,” Dravid said.
“On November 19th… we beat Travis Head’s bat 15 times — he didn’t touch a single ball. Sometimes things go your way, but you have to stick to the process,” Dravid, who received the Lifetime Achievement honour at the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, remarked.
Dravid also pointed to India’s thrilling comeback against South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on June 29. Despite South Africa needing just 30 runs off the last five overs, India (176/7) defended their total, with Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning boundary catch turning the game in India’s favour.
“Sometimes at the end of the day, you need a little bit of luck. (Against South Africa in T20WC final)… 30 balls to go, 30 runs to go. (It was about) incredible execution, incredible calmness by Rohit. We didn’t focus on what we needed to do, but we needed a guy who could keep his foot within one inch of a line. Sometimes (it is) the skill,” he said, recalling Suryakumar Yadav’s fabulous catch on the long-off boundary to pull off David Miller’s dismissal. It was a catch that tilted a tight game in India’s favour.
Reflecting on his time as head coach, Dravid expressed pride in India’s journey to the 2023 World Cup final, where they won nine consecutive matches before losing to Australia in the title clash. “To travel across the country and witness the passion of the fans… just the experience as a coach was phenomenal,” he said.
Though they fell short in the 2023 World Cup, Dravid credited the team’s T20 World Cup success to sticking with the same processes and energy. “We needed to create the same vibe, the same team atmosphere… and hope for a little bit of luck on the day,” the 51-year-old explained. Dravid waxed eloquent on India’s ability to churn out top-quality cricketers.
“I left in 2011-2012. These (new) players have been able to carry the legacy forward. If you just look at the success that we’ve had over the last 12 years in all the three formats of the game, the time that after we left, it’s been absolutely phenomenal. Very easily, clearly in a lot of the rankings, we’re always (No.) 1 or 2… we’re always up there with anyone,” he said.
“I have no doubt that this generation of players, led by people like Rohit and Surya and the (other) guys coming forward in all formats of the game is only going to continue to do that in the future,” he added.
