On Rohit, Kohli, Others Moving On From World Cup Heartbreak, Coach Rahul Dravid's Honest Response

The manner in which an invincible-looking Indian team lost the Cricket World Cup 2023 final to Australia hurt millions of fans. The painful exit from the tournament ended what was most likely the last chance for the likes for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and a few other seniors to add a World Cup title to their name. As Rohit and Kohli return for their first assignment since the World Cup final, head coach Rahul Dravid spoke about the 'disappointment' and the need to 'move on' before India's next assignment, which is the 2-match Test series against South Africa.

"It's happened in the past, yes it's disappointing, but we have moved on from it. Now you have got something ahead of you. Players are good at that (moving on). We are forced to do that, we learn how to do that from the time we are kids. Every time you get out, you are disappointed, you have another innings to play, you have to perform in the next innings, so you can't let the disappointment of the past stay with you. As cricketers, you learn how to deal with that, from the time you are kids. If you let the disappointment in the past stay with you, it will affect you in the next game," Dravid told the press on Sunday.

"Yes, the guys are disappointed, we were all disappointed. But we have all moved on from it now and we are looking forward to something that is ahead of us," he added.

India haven't yet won a Test series in South Africa. While certain players are bound to arrive in the series with a heavy heart, Dravid doesn't think the players need 'motivation' to do well.

"I don't think you need to motivate players to play for India. I don't think any of our players are lacking in motivation. Coming to play in South Africa, representing your country, playing Test cricket here with an opportunity to play some very good cricket, I don't think anyone is lacking in motivation. I did not have to motivate anyone.

"I don't believe in motivating my players, I believe in creating the right environment, ensuring the right processes, ensure we practice well, tick all the boxes physically, mentally and tactically. That's really my job as a coach; giving the players the best chance to succeed. There are really some motivated guys out there in the team," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Rahul Dravid Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma India vs South Africa 2022/23 Cricket