Significance of learning to deal with failure and growing as a team were categorically outlined by Rahul Dravid in his address to budding Andhra cricketers at the ACA Central Zone Academy in Mangalagiri.

In Vijayawada as the India A coach for the two-‘Test’ series against New Zealand A, Dravid passed on some simple but meaningful tips to cricketers that hold equal relevance for all youngsters. Failure was an opportunity to grow, he stressed upon his audience.

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“Learning to fail well is important,” Dravid said, adding, “When cricketers fail they blame the umpires, the coaches, the weather, the pitch or their luck. They try to brush the real issues under the carpet and refuse to address them. But people who fail well would look into every failure as an opportunity to grow. It is those who learn to fail well will eventually succeed and make it to the top. Most of the time players get depressed when they fail and feel happy when they succeed. Their moods go up and down but the need of the hour is striking a balance. This helps you both in cricket and in life.”

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Dravid said the journey towards a destination was an important experience. “The ultimate motto should be to reach the destination. Even if you don’t reach the (cricketing) destination you will still emerge as a better person. So do not be afraid of failure and do not get carried away by success.”

No room for selfishness

Dravid asked the aspirants to learn the life-skills the game offered. “Cricket is a team game. It is all about partnership, helping and supporting each other, friendships and growing together. If you are selfish you will stagnate. You have to grow as a team and also grow as individuals.”

Reflection and analysis of one’s own efforts were helpful in the process of improvement, he said.

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“After every practice session or a match you should get back to your room and reflect. Think about the outing and analyse for just 10 minutes. Because only reflection will help you grow. Just by practising you can improve but practising with reflection help you improve quicker.

“The most important feedback comes from you. The more you do it the quicker you learn, the faster you learn the quicker you improve.”

‘Corrective manual’

He pointed to the daily dairy as an important too, too. “Note down the important points on a daily basis. These jottings will be help when you are out of form. The dairy will be corrective manual.”

He advised the budding cricketers to strike a balance between cricket and academics. “When you are playing you should give your hundred per cent and the moment you open your books you should switch off cricket. Thinking about cricket 24x7 will drain you out. Pursuits other than cricket help you relax. I know you aim to become good cricketers but if you really want to reach your potential and achieve as cricketer first you should grow as a person,” he said.