Rush Dravid to Australia, says Vengasarkar after India's humiliating defeat

Former India cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar wants Rahul Dravid to be sent to Australia immediately to help the struggling Indian batsmen after they were bowled out for just 36 in the second innings of the first Test in Adelaide, their lowest ever score in Tests.

“The BCCI must rush Dravid to Australia to help the team. No one can guide the batsmen better on how to play the moving ball in those conditions. His presence will be a huge boost to the Indian team in the nets. In any case, the NCA has been shut due to Covid for the past nine months, leaving him with little to do,” Vengskarkar told The Times of India.

“The Board can make a better use of Dravid by utilising his services to help the national team, which will be without skipper Virat Kohli from now (last three Tests),” he said.

Vengsarkar said that even if he (Dravid) has to serve a mandatory two-week quarantine period, he should be available for helping the Indian team at the nets before the third Test in Sydney, which will begin from January 7.

Dravid, the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, was previously coach of the India Under-19 teams that finished runner-up in 2016 and winner in 2018. Dravid has often been appreciated for his hard work in setting up India A teams.

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Vikram Rathour is India’s batting coach while Ravi Shastri is the head coach.

The Indian batting will be under pressure as skipper Virat Kohli returns home on a paternal leave.

KL Rahul is likely to replace Kohli as a batsman. The management could rest Prithivi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha and Vihari, who may be replaced by Shubman Gill as an opener batsman.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia on Sunday confirmed that the third Test will be played in Sydney from January 7-11 as per the schedule despite a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases in the city. However, a news report in The Sydney Morning Herald stated that Cricket Australia may take the third Test to Brisbane and play the fourth test in Sydney.

The second Test will start in Melbourne on December 26.