Updated 18 June 2025 at 16:08 IST
Rahul Dravid Highlights The Biggest Factor That Might Help Yashasvi Jaiswal Succeed In England, Recalls Unheard WTC 2023 Final Incident
Yashasvi Jaiswal has cemented his place as an opener in the Indian Team. India will lock horns with England in a five-match Test series. The first match of the series will be played on June 20, 2025
Advertisement
Yashasvi Jaiswal during BGT 2024-25 and Rahul Dravid while celebrating India's T20 World Cup win in Mumbai | Image:
AP/BCCI
India tour of England: The Indian Test team, with Shubman Gill as the skipper and Gautam Gambhir at the helm of things, has a herculean task ahead of them – beating England in England. With stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from the longest format of the game, India will lack the experience that they require on such a big tour, but the youngsters will have to step up and deliver.
Rahul Dravid Narrates An Unheard Yashasvi Jaiswal Incident
Rahul Dravid, the former coach and the captain of the Indian team, knows the English conditions very well. A batsman as technically sound as Rahul has always thrived in English conditions and has delivered when the situation demanded quality stuff out of him. His century in Lord's during India's 2011 tour is something that will be remembered for ages to come.
Dravid is somebody who has had the experience of working with young Indian talent, and he has been doing it for many years now. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Indian southpaw, is considered to be one of India's brightest hopes heading into the future, as far as Test cricket is concerned. The 'Wall' closely worked with Jaiswal while he was the coach of the Indian cricket team and then in Rajasthan Royals.
Dravid feels that Jaiswal's will to improve is something that impressed him. 'Some of the practice pitches leading into the Test match were really spicy. It had been raining, and they were not well prepared. And he was willing to go out there and bat against whoever – side-armers, Mohammed Shami, or Mohammed Siraj, or whoever. He just wanted to bat in those conditions, which for me and our other coaches was, "Wow, he wants to learn, he wants to improve,"' said Dravid while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
Spotlight Remains Firm On Indian Youngsters
India have never won a Test series on English soil since 2007, when Rahul Dravid was the skipper. They came real close in 2021 when Kohli was leading them, but the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the series, and it was later resumed in 2022 with just one Test match left to be played. England won the last Test match and levelled the series, denying India their chance of winning in England. The youngsters are going to be crucial for India heading into this series, and their performances will be closely watched throughout the series.
Published 18 June 2025 at 16:08 IST