Siraj’s maturity stands out: Dravid

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket is replete with stories of young talents losing the plot during the transition from U-19 to the senior national team.

The appointment of Rahul Dravid as the chief coach for India U-19 and India A in June 2015, was not only to plug this gap but also to mentor young minds and talents. Under the 45-year-old, the development teams have come of age.

Explaining the importance of mental conditioning of players at this level, Dravid, speaking after India A’s win against South Africa A here, pointed out: “At the India ‘A’ level, it’s not so much about technique. The large part is about where they are in their career: some close to a national call-up, some might have just come into the scene. For us, it is about creating the best environment for them to do well. We give them what’s required for them to feel relaxed and enjoy the game. We also challenge them. We push them a little bit and we demand high standards.” A case in point is Mohammed Siraj, whose career in IPL came after one rewarding domestic season.

Delving into the progress of the Hyderabad pacer, who has been in phenomenal form with the red ball this season, but has gone wicketless in his three-match T20 International career, Dravid explained,