Team India has ended a seven-match losing streak across formats against New Zealand Yesterday Under their New Captain Rohit Sharma and New Head Coach Rahul Dravid
"It didn't come as easy as we expected, so great learning for the guys, to understand what needs to be done, not about power-hitting all the time. As a captain and a team, happy that those guys finished the game off. A good game for us, missing a few players, opportunity to other guys to show their ability. At one stage it was looking like 180-plus so a great effort from a complete bowling performance." - Rohit Sharma , Indian Captain after India's Victory over NZ
Source of the Statement: ESPN Cric Info
The world cup was an emotional one for Indian fans. It was the last occasion of the best batsman in the world Virat Kohli as the captain of the Indian side in the T20's. Furthermore, it was the last appearance of Ravi Shastri as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. The aggressive duo of Men in Blue did wonders to the Indian team, and Indian cricket scaled new heights under their leadership and guidance.
Author:- Ashwin Jangam (Cricket Analyst, host, poet, entertainer)
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Although the only T20 world cup led by Virat didn't go in India's favour, one cannot forget the past achievements of this duo. Winning 32 matches out of 50, and having a win percentage of 64% is a great achievement in the game of cricket. Under his leadership, India registered its first T20 match and series victory against New Zealand. The optimistic and aggressive approach brought to the team by the very passionate Kohli was the primary reason for this success. Leading from the front has been his skill, which has benefitted India a lot.
He is the first captain to set fitness standards for Indian cricket. He revived Indian cricket with fit players who have the skill to play excellent cricket. The raised standard of Indian fielding is an outcome of the same. His no-nonsense attitude has forced all the players to follow strict fitness and diet routines if they want to play for the team, thereby proving to be a boon for Men in Blue. He is the first captain who ensured fitness standards and he set the benchmark for upcoming generations to follow.
He was often criticized for his approach to go for a win, even if it was seemingly impossible. This happened, particularly in Tests. But despite the criticism he received, he didn't change one bit. And this approach has done India more good than harm. The overseas test wins, the 2 consecutive test series win against Australia in Australia, the win at Lord's and many others are a result of the same approach. Indian fans would have loved to see him lead the team even further, but he decided to give the captaincy to manage the workload and focus on his batting.
The king has passed his baton to Hitman, another world-class player playing for Men in Blue. Rohit Sharma has shown his captaincy skills in the IPL, winning 5 titles amongst the 9 seasons he played for the team. His calm head, with aggression in his batting, will be a bonus for India. His teammates have often cited him as a team man, who gives every player his required space thereby giving them a chance to prove and improve. His field placements under pressure and his rotation of bowlers make him a great leader of the team. A T20 centurion, and the ODI highest individual scorer, will be leading the Men in Blue in T20's from today when Men in Blue would look to avenge the Black Caps.
It's not just Rohit, who has excited the Indians. It's the new head coach of the team, Rahul Dravid who has pumped the adrenaline of Indians. The technically most sound batsman ever to play the game, the former captain of India, the selfless man who did everything out of his comfort zone for Men in Blue, and truly a legend with zero haters would be the guiding the Men in Blue. The visuals of Dravid in the dressing room would be a treat for Indians. His successful stint as the head of NCA has yielded India a lot of positives. The youngsters groomed under him are the stars of Indian cricket. One would only see the bar of Indian cricket rising with Rahul Dravid being the coach of Men in Blue.
All in all, the end of the Virat-Shastri era marks the beginning of the Rohit-Dravid era. The wounded lion in the form of Virat keen to roar back as a batsman, the calm captain with a high success rate, and the calm head on the shoulders in the dressing room in the form of Rahul Dravid would make the strongest team, an invincible team was all set to scare to all the opponents. With the first encounter yesterday. one would love to see this trio dominate the Kiwis, and world cricket. As a true Indian fan, I would like to thank Virat-Shastri for their valuable service and would wish all the best for Rohit-Dravid to carry the legacy even further.
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