Rahul Dravid has a bigger challenge in SA because of recent controversies: Reetinder Singh Sodhi

India will rub shoulders with South Africa from December 26 in a three-match Test series followed by as many ODIs. This would be head coach Rahul Dravid’s second assignment after assuming his role after guiding the team to a great victory against New Zealand. It has to be noted that India is yet to register a win in the Rainbow nation and India lost the series 1-2, the last time they traveled there.

In the same light, former Indian cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi stated that Dravid has another ‘big challenge’ ahead of him to address apart from the aspects of the game. There have been certain rumours that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not on good terms with each other and Sodhi believes that Dravid has got a big role to play here.

“He has a bigger challenge because of the recent controversies that have happened, to uplift the team after that. It is an acid test for Rahul Dravid. If we talk about Rohit and Virat, to make them stand together and get the partnership back if there is a difference of opinion between them, so Rahul will be addressing that first,” said Sodhi while speaking on the discussion at India News.

Big test for Team India and a bigger test for Rahul Dravid: Sodhi

Moving further in the discussion, the former cricketer added that Dravid also has a big role to play in preparing the batters for the SA pitch. If the Dravid-led India team can outclass South Africa on their soil, his respect as a coach will grow massively, reckoned Sodhi.

“And this tour which will be in different conditions, how our batters excel in South Africa. South Africa have a good bowling line-up and Rahul Dravid will have to work a lot there. We have done well in the home series but now is the acid test. If Rahul can get his team to do well here, the great respect he has in the entire world as a player, it will grow a lot as a coach also. So yes, a big test for Team India and a very big Test for Rahul Dravid,” added Sodhi.