India, May 25 -- Rahul Dravid and Shubman Gill's association dates back to 2017. Gill was an 18-year-old about to taste 'international cricket' fr the first time as part of India's U19 team coached by Dravid. He was not the biggest name in that team. It was Prithvi Shaw, the captain and the next big thing in Indian cricket. By the time the same team won the U19 World Cup a year later, the dynamics had changed ever so slightly. Gill was India's highest run-scorer. His composure, balance and ability to stick his neck out under pressure were the highlights. Both Dravid and Gill were a few paces away from the senior team's set-up then. It took three years for them to reunite as player and coach.

A year later, then-India head coach Dravid, af...