Rahul Dravid has done a great job at the NCA: Sourav Ganguly

The India tour of Australia acted as a real testament to India’s celebrated bench strength as while playing the four-match Test series in Australia, India were without the services of many of their key players. The youngsters didn’t disappoint as they rose through the ranks and grabbed all the opportunities that came their way with both hands.

Despite the embarrassing defeat in the first Test at Adelaide, Team India defied all odds and scripted a stunning comeback, winning the second Test at the MCG followed by a draw in Sydney and a historic win at the Gabba to win the highly-anticipated series 2-1.

The marquee series also marked the introduction of many talented Indian lads to the cricket fraternity including Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, and T Natarajan. The major credit for India’s bench strength goes to former Indian captain and  ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid.

Dravid is working as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where he nurtures young talent and prepares them to take the field for the Indian team. The former Indian captain and the president of the Board of Control of India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly, acknowledged the contribution made by Dravid towards Indian cricket and lauded the veteran for doing a tremendous job.

We spoke about Bumrah for all of last year, but India win without him as well: Sourav Ganguly

In an interview, Ganguly heaped praises on two seamers namely Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur for stepping up and performing for the team in critical situations. He also lauded the players for showing their character and grit by beating Australia in Australia without Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma.

“I always say that Rahul Dravid has done a great job at the NCA (in Bangalore) as he looks after the second-string players. Mohammed Siraj, you know I see a lot of talent in him, Shardul Thakur every time they have got opportunities they have just stood up,” Ganguly said in an exclusive interview on India Today.

We spoke about Bumrah for all of last year, but India wins without him as well. In Australia, the last Test match, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, no Ishant Sharma in the squad, and you beat Australia in Australia. That’s remarkable,” he added.