R Ashwin praises Rahul Dravid's 'immense knowledge', says he looks forward to batting great's stint as India coach

Dubai: Rahul Dravid’s appointment as head coach of the Indian team can mean many good things but according to senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the batting great’s “immense depth of knowledge” stands out. Needless to say, Ashwin on Thursday backed the BCCI’s move to give Dravid the top job. Dravid, who was working as the head of National Cricket Academy, has been appointed for a period of two years till the 2023 50-over World Cup in India. “I think Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) has got an immense depth of knowledge and he has got good wishing for anything he does in life. He is somebody who has done the hard yards,” Ashwin said during a virtual pre-match press conference here. India play Scotland in a must-win game in the ICC T20 World Cup on Friday. Former India captain Dravid will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand, starting 17 November. “He (Dravid) has gone through the journey and the grind of being at the NCA, he has gone through the Indian A (team), he knows what’s in store, he has played with some of us inside this dressing room. “He also knows all the young boys and I am really looking forward to the stint and trying to contribute alongside Rahul bhai,” said the Tamil Nadu tweaker, who made a comeback to white-ball cricket after four years. Owe a lot to the family, says Ashwin The veteran off-spinner, who returned with excellent figures of 2-14 against Afghanistan in the World Cup on Wednesday, said that he owed a lot to his family while he has been staying in the bio-bubble for the last 8-10 months. “With respect to family travelling during these bubbles, one of those very funny things, I heard like some of the people who live in Dubai, my friends and some acquaintances they still don’t get the life of a bubble, they actually think bubble means we are living in a hotel and we are playing the games. They want to meet (laughs),” he said. Ashwin stressed that life in bio-bubble meant that the team stays in groups. “So, we don’t get to see other people at all. In fact, we live among ourselves, we live within groups, just trying to create some environment where we are communicating with each other and trying to play a few team-building games and that is all we have been doing for the last 8-10 months. “Without my family I would struggle so much and I continue to owe a lot to them,” elaborated the 35-year-old Chennai-born spinner. He said that the support provided by the family works as a cushion for the players. “Many a time when the team loses, we put pictures of family going out and all that, people go after us saying what are you doing, holiday with your family and all that, we are hardly on a holiday. “The time when we come back to the room, we had a good or bad day, family is the only place where we lean upon. They have played more than a small role in what’s happened in the last eight months. “Yes, we had some great results, we have had not so great results, but those are what happens on the field. “We are also human beings and we also have a family and we need to have that sort of space and cushion to be able to go out and play the next day. I am extremely thankful to my wife and my kids for having done this,” he signed off.