Ind vs SL: Aravinda De Silva Hail India Coach Rahul Dravid, Points Benefits of Having Him Manage Youngsters

Colombo: Former India cricketer and now coach Rahul Dravid would be expected to replicate the good work he did with the India A and U19 teams – when a second-string side takes on Sri Lanka in a white-ball series. Dravid, who is set for his first assignment with the senior team, would hope India gets off to a winning start. Ahead of the series, former Sri Lankan legend Aravinda De Silva lavished praise on Dravid. He reckoned it is good to have your hero as your coach.

“The U-19 stage is where the foundation is. And if you lay the foundation right, it becomes so much easier to progress from thereon because that’s where I feel you’ll be able to learn about the necessary discipline, knowledge and strategy and related matters,” de Silva was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

Hailing Dravid for doing a good job with the U-19 team, De Silva also revealed that has been trying to convince Mahela Jayawardena to do the same for the Lankan U-19 side. The 1996 World Cup winner also stated his efforts to convince Jayawardena have not been successful thus far.

“When Rahul was appointed as the U-19 coach, I felt India did a great job. I’ve been trying to convince Mahela to take charge of our U-19 team for a long time, but I was not so successful in doing so,” he added.