BRIDGETOWN (BARBADOS): It’s not easy being either India or South Africa on the eve of a big final. While South Africa have nothing to show in their ICC trophy cabinet but for a ICC Knockout Trophy in 1998 that most have forgotten, India’s recent woes at the crunch are well documented.But Rahul Dravid, who played against the great South African side of the 1990s and was a part of Indian teams that lost big finals both as captain and coach, feels there will be no pressure of the past bothering the sides.
“I don’t think teams carry the baggage of the past and know to move on from things. As we moved on from our defeat in Ahmedabad (against Australia in 2023), I am sure they have moved on from history as well. As players we understand that the other team that reaches the final is there for a reason and it has as much right to win as we have. As for Saturday, we will play our best cricket and hope the result falls on our side,” Dravid said just after India had notched up a brilliant semifinal win against England.
As much as Dravid tries to brush it off, the discussions around India’s loss in the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup final keep cropping up. Asked whether India will manage to cross the line this time, Dravid smiled.
“I hope we do. It’s good that we have been consistent. Last year we have been No. 1 in all three formats and showed a lot of consistency. If we play well and the rub of the green stays with us, we should be there.”
There’s also an element of mental preparation and dealing with the physical fatigue of match-flight-game schedule. If there are any areas to work on, there’s no time, at least at the nets, because Friday was all about recovery.
“In terms of preparation, there will be no practice ahead of the final. It is about ensuring that physically, mentally and tactically we stay fresh and ready. Being in the right frame of mind is equally important as anything else,” Dravid said.
India probably have a slight advantage going into the final because they have played a game in Barbados (against Afghanistan in the Super 8s). More importantly, they had two gruelling practice sessions which allowed them to understand what they should expect from the pitch.
“It’s good that we played in Barbados before but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the pitch will be the same. What we have done really well as a group is adapting and recognizing what to do. We played very differently in St. Lucia to the way we played in Guyana, where we figured out anything more than 150 should be good. Be prepared and do what needs to be done,” Dravid said, keeping it matter of fact.