Boys are looking good to go, says Rahul Dravid ahead of the Nagpur Test against Australia

The most-awaited cricketingbattleof the year is upon us as it’s time for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar series. With both India and Australia preparing hard for the slated four Tests that will determine the finalists of the 2023 World Test Championship, team India head coach gave some insights on how the hosts are gearing up for the big contest. In his recent interaction with the media, Dravid said the players are looking in good touch inthe net sessions while the focus will remain on close-in catches as spinners will play a huge role in deciding the fate of this series.

Talks of the Australian team using the services of an ‘Ashwin-like’ spinner during their pre-series camp scheduled in Bengaluru clearly shows the visiting team doesn’t want to leave a stone untuned in their efforts to reclaim the prize. Whereas, the Indian team is currently training at the VCA Stadium in Civil Lines, Nagpur. Dravid, who is closely following team India’s preparation said to have all the players back is good, and that for some to switch from white-ball format to red was also the need of the hour.

"Everyone looks in really good shape. It's nice to get the Test team together again. We had a lot of white-ball cricket over the last month or so," coach Dravid said in a video posted by the BCCI on Twitter. "Some of those boys, shifting from white-ball to red-ball, it's nice for them to just have that extended period in the nets. The surfaces have been really good as well," he added.

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With a lot is at stake from both sides, the spin-heavy Indian bowling line-up have some tricks up their sleeves, and for them to be successful they want the close-in fielders to remain attentive and active at the same time. Stressing on having quick hands right beside the batters during the series, head coach said,

"Fielding side of things as well, that has been really important as well. The close-in catching which we think is going to become a really important part of the series. There's a lot of emphasis and focus on close-in catching, slip fielding, things like that when you are on the road all the time and don't get time to build and work on those things," Rahul said.

As everyone from returning KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja to captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli are having longer sessions in nets, Dravid opined that players are looking in good touch and are raring to go.

"It's been really fruitful and the boys are looking good. Hopefully two or three days more into the Test match and then we can take it from there," Dravid added.

The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series will begin on February 9th in Nagpur while Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad will host the remaining three Tests.