I have learnt a lot from Rahul Dravid on how to improve my game, says Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube attributes his steady rise as a possible competitor to the all-rounder role, currently played by Hardik Pandya, to the mentorship of Rahul Dravid. Dube won the 'Man of the Series' for his all-round instrumental role in the unofficial Test series against West Indies ‘A’.
In the three unofficial Tests, Dube scored 180 runs at an average of 60 and picked up five wickets, as the visitors won the series 2-0. The 26-year-old, like many of the domestic level players these days, has been learning a lot from Dravid, who was India A coach when Dube played for India A against Sri Lanka A at home this summer.
"I have learnt a lot from Rahul sir about what sort of game plan to devise for what situation, and how exactly can I improve my game,” Dube told TOI.
Batting at No. 7, the Mumbaikar slammed two crucial half-centuries during the first two matches of the series. In the first match at North Sound, in Antigua, he scored 71, adding 124 with Wriddhiman Saha to help India ‘A’ win the match by six wickets. He followed it up with a 79 at Port-of-Spain, rescuing his team from 20 for five.
"It was a difficult time to bat. The ball was seaming around and their pacer, Chemar Holder, was bowling in good areas. But we stuck to our plan to stay on the wicket. Before that innings, we had fielded for one-and-a-half days and I had bowled 19 overs. I had to prove that as an all-rounder, I could bowl a long spell and bat in a situation like that. And I managed to do that," he said.
The left-hander enjoys an average of 48.63 with the bat and 23.48 with the ball in first-class cricket, which are not bad numbers at all. As a reward for his fine domestic performances, he bagged a lucrative IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019.
"I always keep working on my fitness because as an all-rounder, you need to be fit to bowl or bat in any situation. That helped me a lot this time," Dube added.