India head coach Rahul Dravid knows his team have a tough task ahead in their bid to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final for a second successive time. In order to make the final, which will be held at The Oval in June 2023, India must win either all six or five of their remaining matches - two against Bangladesh, one of which is currently underway, and four against Australia at home in February-March next year. Dravid said, "We know we've got a challenge on our hand. We know we've got to win majority of our games in the World Test Championship, but we are not going to get there if we don't take the first steps well."
Dravid also pointed out that teams are becoming more aggressive and are pushing for results since the introduction of the WTC, with 12 points associated with every match. He said, "Teams have already been aggressive over the last bit (of time). Teams are playing for results a lot more now especially with the WTC points at stake. I still think adaptability is going to be very important in Test cricket." He added, "The teams that have that adaptability or that ability to be able to switch so to speak even in between a Test match are the ones that are going to be very successful."
The India coach was also full of praise for star batter Virat Kohli, who recently scored his 44th ODI century against Bangladesh. Kohli has been in excellent form since the Asia Cup, and was also impressive during the T20 World Cup in Australia. Dravid said, "Virat has an incredible template in 50-over cricket. His record speaks for itself, which is phenomenal. He's got a good template in one-day cricket wherein he knows when just to be aggressive and when to control a game."
Dravid believes that a lot of the younger players in the India team will benefit from playing against Bangladesh in their own backyard in Tests, after losing the ODI series 2-1. He said, "There are a lot of guys for whom this is a completely new experience of playing Test cricket here in Bangladesh. They've played a few one-day games but not Test cricket. It's nice to be able to play in all parts of the world in Test playing countries. Bangladesh has been playing some good cricket at home recently. It's a good challenge for the boys. They are really excited about it."