‘You’re Not Going To Write Them Off’: Rahul Dravid Backs India’s WTC Final Fight

India may have slipped down the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, but former head coach Rahul Dravid believes the team still has enough quality to fight its way into the final.

India are currently fifth in the WTC points table, meaning the road to the top two has become significantly more difficult. However, their campaign has received a boost from their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, where they lead the series 1-0 after securing a 165-run win in the opening Test in Galle.

India have also put themselves in a strong position in the second Test after another substantial batting effort.

Dravid believes that start gives India something to build on, but the team will need to produce consistently strong results in the months ahead if it is to keep its WTC hopes alive.

"I'm hoping they do. It'll be a great run if India can qualify for the WTC final from here," Dravid told JioStar when asked if India would be able to make the summit clash from here.

"They've fallen behind a little bit, but the kind of quality that the Indian team has, you're not going to write them off at any stage. They started off well against Sri Lanka, so that's a good first step," he said.

New Zealand Series To Provide A Stern Test

India's next assignment will take them to New Zealand in October for a two-Test series, a trip Dravid believes could prove particularly challenging for a relatively inexperienced Indian group.

Playing in New Zealand presents a different set of conditions, and several of India's younger players have not yet experienced Test cricket there. Dravid expects that lack of exposure to make the series even more demanding.

"(Playing against) New Zealand away, (is) always a challenge. (They are a) tough team, New Zealand, to play away from home. A lot of the young Indian boys have not played in those conditions, so that's going to be a big challenge," he said.

The transition to a younger Test side is another factor India will have to manage. The team no longer has the experience of several players who were central to its previous WTC campaigns, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.

Dravid stressed that keeping the current squad fit will be crucial as India face a packed and demanding run of Tests.

"Hopefully, they can keep the guys fit and not have a lot of injuries over the next few months. We're missing the experience of Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma), Ajinkya Rahane and (Cheteshwar) Pujara, these kinds of guys who've probably been there the last time India went. So that will be an interesting series as well," Dravid added.

Australia Series Could Define India's WTC Campaign

The New Zealand tour will be followed by an even bigger challenge at home, with Australia set to visit India for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series from January 2027.

Australia's recent inability to win a Test series in India is likely to add extra motivation to the contest. Dravid expects the visitors to be particularly determined to break that run, given the quality and experience within their current squad.

"Australia will be really exciting. A lot of their players will be very keen to do well in India. That's a generation of truly great Australian players, a great Australian team that has not won in India. So they'll be keen to do that," Dravid said.

For India, the equation is straightforward, they need to turn their promising start in Sri Lanka into a sustained run of results.

With two Tests in New Zealand followed by five against Australia, the next seven matches could play a major role in determining whether India can climb back into the WTC top two.