New Delhi, August 26: Team India’s position in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka is quite strong. The team is set to play seven more Test matches in the coming months. Former captain Rahul Dravid believes that India can qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final from this point onward.
India secured a 165-run victory in the first match of the Test series held in Galle. Under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, the Indian team has improved its points percentage from 48.14 to 53.33, maintaining the fifth position in the WTC standings.
With plans to play seven more Test matches, including five at home against Australia, Dravid is optimistic about India’s chances in the WTC.
In an interview with JioHotstar, Dravid stated, “I hope they will do it. If India qualifies for the WTC final from here, it will be a remarkable journey. They have fallen a bit behind, but the quality within the Indian team cannot be overlooked at any stage. They have made a good start against Sri Lanka, so this is a positive first step.”
As part of the WTC cycle, the Indian team will tour New Zealand for two Test matches this November. However, India faced a 0-2 defeat in the last Test series during their previous tour to New Zealand. Given that context, Dravid acknowledges that facing New Zealand is always a challenge and will be a significant test for the current Indian Test squad.
Dravid remarked, “Playing in New Zealand is always a challenge. Competing against them away from home is tough. Many young Indian players have not played in those conditions, so it will be a big challenge. Hopefully, they can keep the players fit and avoid injuries in the coming months. We will miss the experience of players like Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma), Ajinkya Rahane, and (Cheteshwar) Pujara, who were likely present during the last tour. Therefore, this series will also be interesting.”
Next January, India will host Australia for five Test matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Dravid commented, “The competition against Australia will be very exciting. Many of their players will be eager to perform well in India. This is a fantastic generation of Australian players and a great team that has not won in India. Therefore, they will be keen to achieve that.”
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