Dilip backed up his statement citing KL RahulThe direct blow that got rid of in-form Litton Das at the T20 World Cup in Australia and eventually helped India beat Bangladesh.
“There are certain areas where we have definitely improved over a period of time. If you look at the number of direct hit percentages in the World Cup and a direct hit from KL Rahul changed the tide of the game,” Dilip told the media after India’s optional training session at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay.
“It’s something we’re looking at as a group and if you look at his overall ratio, even though there’s no burnout, the number of times we’ve hit the stumps has improved a bit. This is an area we will continue to improve.” he added.
Dilip backed Rahul, who didn’t attend the optional training session, to continue performing well at No.5 as a wicketkeeper-beater.
“We all know that KL Rahul is a wonderful player. He has proven himself. Even in ODI, in the middle order, he has proven himself as a hitter. As a wicketkeeper, he brings a lot of balance to the team as he gives the advantage.
“As he’s not someone who picked out the gloves a while ago – he’s been doing that since a young age – he’s adding a lot of stuff. Not that hard to work on his doorman, other than tweaking a few things “, says Dilip.
Dilip said the team is looking to have specific fielding drills and training for specific players so they are better prepared to play in certain positions.
Hardik Pandya will be India’s alternate captain for Friday’s first ODI, and Dilip backed the all-rounder to be good.
“He’s now officially the captain. But he’s been in our leadership group for all those matches and he’s proven in the T20s what he can bring as a captain. Even though Rohit is the captain, he’s part of our leadership group, he adds a lot of value to the team, not just to you, we all look forward to him. He is well equipped to do that,” Dilip said.
The pitch coach added that senior players like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja inspire young players to work on their pitch.
“They have proven over a period of time, they have been role models in terms of what they can contribute to the pitch. The players look up to them. What I see special when they come to train is the intensity. Even after proving themselves, they carry that intensity, which rubs off on young people,” he said.
(With PTI entries)
