In this special edition of Pitch Battle, we're joined by the esteemed Congress MP and cricket enthusiast, Shashi Tharoor. Mr. Tharoor shared his thoughts on India's recent ICC triumph, a victory that came after a decade-long wait.
Tharoor weighed in on potential leadership changes. He still wants Rahul Dravid to continue as Head Coach of Team India. But, is that option still open?
#India #CongratulationsIndia #IndiaWorldCup #ICCWorldCup #T20WorldCup #Bumrah #ViratKohli #RohitSharma #PitchBattle #Congress #ShashiTharoor #Sportsnews #Cricketnews #Interview #Oneindia #Oneindianews
~PR.320~ED.101~GR.125~
Tharoor weighed in on potential leadership changes. He still wants Rahul Dravid to continue as Head Coach of Team India. But, is that option still open?
#India #CongratulationsIndia #IndiaWorldCup #ICCWorldCup #T20WorldCup #Bumrah #ViratKohli #RohitSharma #PitchBattle #Congress #ShashiTharoor #Sportsnews #Cricketnews #Interview #Oneindia #Oneindianews
~PR.320~ED.101~GR.125~
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NewsTranscript
00:00The new coach. I mean, I don't know who's going to be the new coach. Everyone is saying Gautam Gambhir.
00:04But Rahul Dravid, do you like the fact that he's going out on a high like this?
00:10I don't like the fact that he's going out. I wish he had three more years on the job.
00:18He's just really terrific for India. He's so sensible, so calm, so mature, so self-effacing.
00:26And at the same time, he's obviously very, very much earned the respect and trust of his team.
00:31So it's a real loss. Whatever happens, I'm sorry to see him going.
00:36But if he must go, I'd rather he went out on a high because he deserves nothing less.
00:40He's a terrific guy. I might say that I know Gautam Gambhir personally, and I think he's also terrific.
00:46He'll bring a lot of intensity to the game. That's different in a way, in a different way from Dravid.
00:53It's not that Dravid isn't intense. I think he's just quieter about it. Gambhir will wear it more on his sleeve.
00:59But these are both fine cricketers. I have nothing against Gautam coming in.
01:06It's just that I think he could have waited a bit while Dravid had a little longer.
01:10Because Dravid didn't want to continue, I gather.
01:13I know. It's just kind of sad. Even I am also.
01:17Virat went and gave that cup to him. And the way he held it and lifted it.
01:24And he was behaving… First time I've seen him behaving like a kid. Rahul Dravid.
01:29It was an amazing sight, sir. I was so personally happy seeing him.
01:33Such a gentleman cricketer. Never won something as a cricketer.
01:37But as a coach, he's done it. And what a magical way.
01:41But from here on, what do you see? Indian cricket progressing further with giant steps.
01:47We should be winning all the tournaments. Because this was the jinx we had to break.
01:52And looking back from here, the kind of talent we have in the country.
01:57I'd like to see us entering an era of dominance to rival the West Indies of the 70s,
02:0460s, 70s, 80s and the Australians of the 90s and the first decade of the century.
02:12There have been teams that have had that kind of dominance,
02:15where everyone expected them to win against anyone, any conditions, anywhere.
02:20And that's what I want India to be. We've never been that. We won tournaments
02:24and then promptly failed to keep that up. I remember in 83, we won the World Cup in England.
02:30And later that winter, the West Indies came to India and one-upped us 5-0 in the Test Series.
02:36I mean, you know, we just haven't had an extended run of dominance in the sport.
02:45And I'd love to see that happen. I'd love to see India becoming that kind of team.
02:50For all the reasons you yourself mentioned, Indranil, the existing amount of talent we have,
02:55which is so considerable. The fact that this talent involves people coming up at all levels
03:02from all over the country, from all sorts of backgrounds. It's a much more diverse pool now.
03:07Cricket is no longer an elite sport. It reaches every mahalla. We have railway ticket collectors
03:15and rickshaw drivers' sons who become international stars playing for India.
03:20We've got all of this going for us. And I think that with this kind of talent pool,
03:24this kind of depth, this kind of population base, this kind of resources and money coming
03:29into the sport and the fan base to encourage people. I don't see why we shouldn't be
03:36by far the best team in the world. I want it to be a situation where the Indian second or third eleven
03:42is better than the next best test country. And we can be like that. So I'd like to see really
03:47a formidable machine coming into place. And if with all the advantages we have, we can't do that.
03:53Then I have to ask what's wrong with us as a people, because we really should have
03:58every reason to to be as formidable as those great teams,
04:02as I mentioned earlier in the past, like the West Indies and the old Australians.