With Team India shifting from T20 cricket to the 50-over format, head coach Rahul Dravid will reportedly be absent in the dugout against South Africa during the 3-match ODI series.

The series between India and South Africa will commence from December 16. This will be India’s first One Day International tie since their ODI World Cup final loss against Australia on November 19.

Rahul Dravid, who is an everpresent figure in the Indian dressing room won’t be taking charge for the ODIs as his focus is on the team’s Test series against The Proteas.

India have never won a Test series in South Africa and will have to find the chinks in the enemies’ armour in order to get a maiden series win away from home.

Dravid will instead be looking over to the 3-day inter-squad Test match which will be played in Pretoria from December 20 according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“Team India (Senior Men) head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T. Dilip will link up with the Test squad and oversee their preparations for the inter-squad game and the Test series,” BCCI said in a release on Saturday.

The team will witness the return of players like skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. The players will return to action for the first time since the World Cup.

Who Will Replace Dravid?

Rahul Dravid will be replaced by former batter Sitanshu Kotak, who is also a member of the NCA support staff.

Head of National Cricket Academy (NCA) VVS Laxman was expected to takeover the team in place of Dravid but went with Kotak instead.

“The ODI team will be assisted by India A’s coaching staff comprising batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Rajib Datta and fielding coach Ajay Ratra,” BCCI said.

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