Rajeev Shukla clarifies Rahul Dravid won't be sent to Australia post India's Adelaide loss

Rajeev Shukla, who is speculated to be in the frame to be elected Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has made it crystal clear that former Indian skipper and the current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid will not be sent to Australia to help India’s batsmen for the remaining three Tests after their dismal batting performance in the second innings of the recently-concluded first Test at the Adelaide Oval. 

It so happened that former Indian batsman and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had recently (in an interview) urged the national cricket board to send Dravid to Australia for helping the Indian team and justified that no one can guide the batsmen better on how to play the moving ball in those conditions.

'Nobody will be flown': Rajiv Shukla

“Nobody will be flown to Australia, our performance in the first innings against the hosts was good, we even took the lead but in the second innings we collapsed, it happens sometimes, after that all the corrective measures have been taken and I think our players are capable of improving the performance and they will definitely look at the wicket conditions in Melbourne and accordingly a composition of the squad will be worked up,” said Shukla while speaking to ANI.

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Pink-ball Test match wrapped up within three days 

The visitors created an unwanted record after their humiliating batting performance against Australia in the second innings where neither of the batsmen managed to reach even double figures and the Men in Blue were eventually restricted to 36/9. India have now registered their lowest ever score in the game's longest format. Their previous lowest score in Test cricket was against England at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's back in June 1974.

Opener Mayank Agarwal was India's top-scorer with 9 runs. The Virat Kohli-led side had no option but to declare their innings at 36/9 after tail-ender Mohammed Shami had to retire hurt after being struck on his wrists by a vicious delivery from Pat Cummins with India having an 89-run lead.

Chasing a paltry target of 90, the hosts were off to a good start as openers Matthew Wade and Joe Burns added 70 runs for the opening stand before the former needlessly ended up running himself out. Number three batsman Marnus Labuschagne followed with just six runs to his name. However, it did not matter at all as Burns and Steve Smith helped the Aussies in getting past the finish line comfortably.

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