Is it time for Rahul ‘The Wall’ Dravid to say goodbye to ‘Men in Blue’? The illustrious cricketer, who was the silent force behind India’s stellar performance during the ICC World Cup 2023, saw his term ending as the India Head Coach on November 19, Sunday. It was the day of billion heartbreaks as Rohit Sharma-led squad was outclassed by Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

While there will be many who will break down the techniques and on-field performance by Men in Blue, one thing that remains out of question is Dravid’s stamp. Talking to media during the after-match presentation, when asked about his future with Team India, Dravid nonchalantly said that he has not given a thought to that. Saying that he was completely focused on the World Cup campaign, Dravid said that he will reflect on his future once he gets time. There has been no word from the BCCI on Dravid’s extension as Head Coach.

Also Read

What about ICC World Cup 2027?

During his two-year term as India head coach, Dravid has guided the Men in Blue to two ICC tournament finals and one semi-final. When asked about how he sees his stint as Head Coach, the 50-year-old said, “To be honest, I am not really someone who’s going to judge and analyse myself. I was really proud to work with. I think the players that I worked with over the last two years in all the formats, it’s been a privilege.” When questioned on World Cup 2027, Dravid laughed and said that there’s a lot of time for the South Africa Edition. “A lot of water will flow under the bridge,” he added.

The Wall’s silent revolution

Dravid’s signature as a class batsman, who rarely gave away his wicket, became his mantra as head coach too. ‘The Wall,’ who gave us unforgettable 376-run partnership with VVS Laxman in 2001 to 12-hour batting against Pakistan in 2004, Dravid went beyond being a player and becoming a legend. When most cricketers opted for more glamourous jobs after their stint as player ended, Dravid chose to a much simpler and away from all the buzz role. In 2016, he was appointed coach of India’s under-19 and A (junior national side) teams.

Also Read

Away from all the glitz, Dravid honed the young talent and India reached under-19 World Cup in 2016. After three years, Dravid got the top job at the National Cricket Academy. This was the period when Indian cricket team was struggling and lots to New Zealand in 2019 World Cup semi-final. It was against this kind of troubling backdrop that Dravid was given the responsibility of India’s head coach. Too many wrote off the team much before the World Cup campaign began. Many questioned Dravid’s role as Head Coach after Virat Kohli quit the captaincy last year. Amid all the drama, Dravid switched to his well-known no-nonsense approach. Team was told to focus on the game and not pay heed to the noise.

2003 to 2023: The revenge that never came

Dravid was part of the team that faced humiliating loss at the hands of Australia back in 2003. In 2007, he was the skipper and lost the chance to win the World Cup. So, this loss at Ahmedabad is very, very personal for him. reports say that everyone broke down in the dressing room after losing to Australia by six wickets.