We have got to focus on our cricket: Rahul Dravid ahead of England Test

The Indian head coach Rahul Dravid believes the Indian team needs to focus on its game rather than getting affected by the England team's mindset and form leading up to the Final Test match of the series.

The Indian team is leading the series by 2-1 and were too good for the English team last summer. However, the home team is coming into this rescheduled fixture after a resounding 3-0 victory over the New Zealand team and have thrived well under the new leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. 

Dravid reckoned that irrespective of the intent of the England team, the Indian team has to find the right opportunities and focus on delivering the best possible performance in the crucial red-ball fixture. 

"Any which way they play gives us opportunities," Dravid said on Wednesday. "We are leading the series 2-1. Any which way they play the game, we believe it's up to us; I think we have got to focus on our cricket and not so much worry about what England is doing and what it is they're playing.

The 49-year-old feels the Indian team has done well to finish runner-up in the previous World Championship Cycle (WTC) and have continued their momentum in the ongoing cycle to sit third in the table. He added that the bowlers have been successful in getting 20 wickets and winning the matches. 

"We've been a pretty positive side as well. We were second in the World Test Championship cycle last year. This year we find ourselves third in the table, just underneath the top two. So we have been pretty successful, we have been pretty successful in getting 20 wickets and winning Test matches,”

"That for me is positive cricket as well. Of course, they might have a strategy, or they might have some tactics that they might come in and play with on a particular day - that can change as well, depending on conditions. It's our job to respond to whatever they put out, and we will be focused on trying to do that,"

Bumrah speaks about the team mindset before the England Test

The newly appointed captain Jasprit Bumrah has reckoned that the Indian team will give their best shot to win this fixture and the series. 

"We don't look in the past. Every cricket game you want to win. Isn't it? We never play any game to lose or just to compete or play for a draw. We want to play for a win. What has happened in the past, that's all gone," said Bumrah. 

"We try to be in the moment. We want to try to be immersed in the moment and try to focus on the job at hand and try to job at hand and try to give our best shot," Bumrah concluded.