Outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid expressed his confidence in India's ability to win their first ICC trophy in over a decade, highlighting their consistent performance and mental preparation for the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
"It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket," said Dravid. "We have been in finals in all three formats [Test, ODI, T20I] and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way) we will surely win."
India fell short in the 2023 WTC final and ODI World Cup final, both against Australia. Dravid believes those experiences won't hold them back.
"No, nothing. I thought we were very well-prepared in Ahmedabad (ODI WC). We ticked all the boxes and, on that day, the other team played better. That's part of the sport."
Focus on Mental Preparation and Adaptability
With limited time between the semi-final and final, Dravid emphasized the importance of mental readiness.
"Those are the things that we can control... We've done all our tactical preparation and we're mentally relaxed and excited and looking forward to the game."
India's adaptability throughout the tournament is a key strength, according to Dravid.
"This whole tournament we have shown the ability to adapt, to recognize what is a good score. We played very differently in New York, then we played in St. Lucia, then we played even in Barbados when I thought that the game was quite slow. I'm just hoping that whatever we come up against, we will have the ability to recognize it and be able to play accordingly."
Learning from the Past and Facing a Strong South Africa
Dravid downplayed the significance of past baggage for both teams.
"Players are very good at moving on from things, recognizing things. So, we will move on from Ahmedabad. I'm sure they [South Africa] will not be thinking about history. It'll be a fresh day."
"The other team that's coming there to play has also obviously reached the final because they're a good team and they're playing very good cricket as well. So, they have as much right to win it as we do, but we hope that we'll play better cricket on the day," he concluded.
India will be looking to break their ICC trophy drought when they face South Africa in a highly anticipated final.
