Rahul Dravid has pointed to a generational shift in Indian cricket as a key factor behind the team’s struggles in Test matches.
India’s decline in red-ball cricket consistency has sparked widespread debate, particularly as the team continues to excel in limited-overs formats while falling short in longer contests.
Dravid, reflecting on his time as head coach, offered a detailed explanation that focused less on talent and more on how modern players prepare for Test cricket.
Rahul Dravid explains why Test preparation has become harder
Speaking in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Dravid highlighted how the constant movement between formats has reshaped the way elite players train.
“One of the things I understood as a coach, especially the guys that play all three formats, they keep moving from one format to the other.
“There were times when we would get to a Test match three to four days before the match, and then when we start practising for the Test match, [and] when you look back at the last time that some of these guys had actually hit a red ball, it might have been four months ago or five months ago,” Dravid said.
He added: “That’s become really a challenge, how do you almost find the time to be able to develop some of the skills that are hard.
“To play on turning tracks, or play on seaming wickets, doing that for hours and hours in a Test match is not easy. It requires skill.”
Dravid’s comments underline how preparation gaps can directly affect performance when players are asked to adapt quickly to demanding Test conditions.
Rahul Dravid compares modern players to his own era
Dravid also drew a clear contrast between the current generation and the environment he experienced during his playing career.
“In my generation, when there were only two formats in the game, and there wasn’t really the idea of franchise cricket, there were a lot of times where I would have a whole month of practising for a Test series, and I would be able to play with the red ball, and I would be able to develop my skills.
“Now, one of the things that has become a bit tougher in red-ball cricket is a lot of our guys who play all the three formats, or who play the amount of cricket that they are playing, sometimes don’t have the time to be able to practise red-ball cricket as much,” the former Indian coach concluded.
The comparison highlights how structural changes in the sport have reduced opportunities for sustained red-ball preparation.
For Dravid, the issue is not effort or intent, but a modern calendar that leaves little room for the repetition Test cricket demands.
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