Rahul Dravid is not willing to carry any baggage from the team’s experience in the past two finals — the World Test Championship loss to Australia and again to Pat Cummins’ team in the ODI World Cup at home last year.

“Nothing, I thought we were very well prepared in those finals as well,” Dravid said ahead of Saturday’s title showdown with South Africa.

“We’ve done all the things, we’ve ticked all the boxes and, on the day, the other team played better and that’s part of the sport. The other team that is coming there to play has also obviously reached the final, because they’re a good team and they’re playing very good cricket as well. So, they have as much right to win it as we do. But we hope that we will play better cricket on the day,” the head coach said.

Jasprit Bumrah with head coach Rahul Dravid, in a picture shared on X, after India made the T20 World Cup final on Thursday X

Dravid felt South Africa too will not be bothered about their failure to come good in crunch moments in the past.

“I don’t think players go on keeping the baggage of the past and what has happened in the past. So every day is a fresh day. Players are very good at moving on from things, of recognising things. So yes, I think just as we will move on from Ahmedabad, I’m sure South Africa will not be thinking about history and it will be a fresh day.

“Two good teams, two teams I think that everyone will agree are probably the top two teams in this tournament... played the best cricket. So, deserving finals for both the teams and hopefully it’s a great game of cricket and hopefully we fall on the right side.”

Dravid said it was important to have self belief.

“I think you’re always looking to improve. And I don’t think you can ever have a perfect game. Certainly, we have not had a perfect game in any game and I don’t think any team really does,” Dravid said.

“So for us really, I think now getting into this final, it’s just about staying relaxed, about trusting the good cricket that we’ve played, about recognising that we found ourselves in pressure situations right through this tournament but always found players to come up and deliver the goods.

“Also just recognising that we’ve got a really good balance in the team... maybe just come really well prepared, do all the things that we can do, control all the controllables.”

He lauded Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav’s batting in the semi-final against England. The pair put on a 73-run stand for the third wicket.

“The way Rohit and Surya battled through that phase in the middle, showed exceptional skill, great ability and reading of a situation, recognising which bowlers to target...”