'Shadow Tours' highly beneficial for Indian cricket, says Rahul Dravid

India A coach Rahul Dravid has come out to praise the 'Shadow Tours' and firmly believes that Rishabh Pant has the “temperament and skills to bat differently” in longer formats.

A shadow tour is a concept developed by the BCCI, where A team tours a nation ahead of the senior team’s visit and it also develop the second string sides.

“It’s great to have shadow tours. It may not always be possible but whenever it’s possible it’s highly beneficial. A lot of players have joined the national side from the team. It also gave Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane come down and spend time with us and play a practice game that was competitive and tough.

“Having India A team tour before the national side (gets into action) opens up many possibilities in terms of preparation for both the sides. It also serves as motivation for many players for they know when they do well on A tours, they will be picked in the national team,” Dravid said.

Rishabh Pant has earned his maiden call up to the Indian Test squad following his superb form for India A during the recently concluded tour of the United Kingdom.

“Rishabh has shown that he could bat differently. He has the temperament and skills to bat differently,” Dravid told bcci.tv.

‘The wall’ was also Pant’s coach during his Under-19 days and knows his game completely.

The Roorkee-born flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman has earned plaudits for his quick paced innings but Dravid has been impressed with the way he reads match situations.

“He is always going to be an attacking player but reading of the situation when one is playing red ball cricket is required. We are glad that he has been picked in the national team and I hope he takes this maturity and builds from thereon,” Dravid said.

“There were three-four innings where he showed that he is willing to bat differently. We all know the way he bats. Even during the 2017-18 (it was 2016-17) Ranji Trophy season, when he got 900 plus runs and his strike rate was 100 plus and we have seen him bat similarly in IPL as well,” the legend added.