NEW DELHI: Veteran India off-spinner R Ashwin has defended India head coach Rahul Dravid's absence from the New Zealand tour, saying the support staff "needed a break" after putting in extensive work in preparation for the T20 World Cup.
Days after Dravid's predecessor Ravi Shastri had questioned why an India coach would need a break when they get "two-three months" off during the IPL, Ashwin said that the coaching staff was physically and mentally burned out.