Dravid Backs India to Qualify for WTC Final Despite Uphill Battle
Former India captain Rahul Dravid has voiced confidence that the current Indian Test team can secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, even as the team faces a demanding schedule in the months ahead. Dravid, speaking to JioHotstar, said, "I'm hoping they do. It'll be a great run if India can qualify for the WTC final from here. They've fallen behind a little bit, but the kind of quality that the Indian team has, you're not going to write them off at any stage."
India's position in the WTC standings received a boost following a strong showing against Sri Lanka. The team registered a 165-run win in the first Test at Galle, improving their points percentage from 48.14 to 53.33, while maintaining fifth spot in the standings. The development was highlighted by Lokmat Times, which noted India's "strong position" and "improved points percentage" as factors behind Dravid's optimism.
Tough Tour Awaits in New Zealand
India's road to the final includes a challenging tour of New Zealand in November, where they are scheduled to play two Test matches. India's last Test series in New Zealand ended in a 2-0 loss, and Dravid underlined the difficulty of playing in those conditions, particularly for younger players. "New Zealand away is always a challenge. (They are a) tough team to play away from home. A lot of the young Indian boys have not played in those conditions, so that's going to be a big challenge," he added.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy Home Series Holds Promise
Following the New Zealand tour, India will host Australia in a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting in January. Dravid expressed excitement about facing the Australian side, noting their players' motivation to succeed in India. "Australia will be really exciting," he said. "A lot of their players will be very keen to do well in India. A generation of truly great Australian players, a great Australian team, has not won in India. So they'll be keen to do that."
Balancing Hope with Reality
The Indian Express's reporting framed India's situation as an "uphill battle," a characterization echoed by Dravid's own admission that the team has "fallen behind a little bit." Yet Dravid also pointed to India's quality as a reason for optimism. In his comments on the New Zealand tour, Dravid noted, "They started well against Sri Lanka, so that's a good first step," indicating that early wins have provided a foundation for the challenges ahead.
The road to the WTC final includes seven more matches in the current cycle. With Australia set to play five matches at home and India facing New Zealand away, the next few months will be critical for India's qualifying hopes. Dravid's message is grounded in both realism and belief, as he urges the team to stay fit and build on their recent success.