'It's Great That...', Rahul Dravid Weighs In On India's Pitch Advantage For T20 World Cup Final

Rahul Dravid highlighted India's impressive consistency, reaching three ICC finals in the past year. As the outgoing head coach, he expressed hope that a blend of strategic play and fortune would finally secure India an elusive ICC championship. India has dominated the ongoing T20 World Cup, reminiscent of their performance in the home ODI World Cup last year, where they stumbled in the final against Australia. Now, under Rohit Sharma's leadership, they are set to confront South Africa in the championship match at Kensington Oval, aiming to add another global title to their 2013 Champions Trophy victory.

Rahul Dravid, who is aiming to conclude his tenure on a high note, stated, 'Consistently playing good cricket has been beneficial. We have reached finals in all three formats, all credit to the players. If we continue to perform well and luck favors us, victory is assured.'

When the trophy is at stake, players typically experience heightened pressure compared to normal circumstances.

With only a day between the semifinal and final, India cannot do much in terms of mental preparation.

After the semifinal against England in Guyana, the team immediately traveled to Barbados, But Dravid affirmed that India is mentally prepared for the upcoming match.

'In terms of our preparation, we only have one day in between, so it's unlikely that we will have practice. It's just about ensuring all the guys need to be physically, mentally, and tactically ready for the game' Dravid emphasized his side's readiness for the summit match.

'All we can control at this time is being fresh and address if there are any niggles. We've completed our tactical preparation, feeling mentally relaxed and excited, and eagerly looking forward to the game,' stated the former India captain, discussing the team's readiness for the upcoming match in the next 24 hours.

In 2023, Australia defeated India in both the WTC final and ODI World Cup final. Have they learned any lessons from those defeats? 'No, nothing. We believed we were well-prepared in Ahmedabad (ODI WC). We covered all bases, but on that day, the opposition outplayed us. It's part of the game.'

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'The team we faced reached the final because they are strong and playing excellent cricket. They deserve to win as much as we do, but we aim to perform better,' he stated.

India posted 181 in their Super 8 opener against Afghanistan on a challenging pitch.

Dravid noted they aimed to apply that experience in their upcoming match against South Africa.

'Yeah, I mean, it's great that we've played a game in Barbados before. Having that familiarity with the surface is nice. But again, it's very hard to... We're not going to get the exact same wicket as last time. It can be different, right?' Dravid emphasized the team's collective effort entering this event, praising their adaptive skills.

'I think what's really important is that we've performed well as a group. Throughout this tournament, we've shown the ability to adapt, to assess what constitutes a competitive score. We approached matches differently in New York, St. Lucia, and even in Barbados, where the game seemed quite slow. I'm hopeful that whatever challenges we face, we'll recognize them and adjust our game accordingly, as we've demonstrated in the last three matches,' Dravid said.

Dravid highlighted India's knack for posting above-par totals on challenging pitches, such as their 171-run score in the Guyana semifinal with low bounce.

South Africa ended their long World Cup semifinal drought, and Dravid emphasized the Proteas' readiness to move forward without any burdens.

'No, not really. It's not like the same players have been there since 1991; there's constant turnover. I can't speak for them, but I don't think players carry past baggage,' Dravid stated.

Dravid also expressed confidence in India's ability to bounce back from the Ahmedabad setback last year.

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'Players are adept at moving forward, learning from experiences. We'll move on from Ahmedabad; they won't dwell on history. It's a new day,' he affirmed.

'Both teams are strong contenders, likely the top two in this tournament. It's a fitting final for both, and hopefully, it's an excellent game. Hopefully, we come out on top,' Rahul Dravid concluded.