Rahul Dravid Says It’s A Matter Of Time Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara And Ajinkya Rahane Start Scoring Big Runs
Published - 02 Jan 2022, 05:42 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:02 AM
India team head coach Rahul Dravid has thrown his weight behind the under pressure trio of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane, saying that they are in good mental space and it is just a matter of time before they start scoring big runs.
This comes after all three of the batters’ poor run of form. Rahane has scored just one Test century since 2020, which came in the Melbourne Test win, while Pujara has not scored a Test century since the 2019 Sydney Test match. Virat Kohli, who recently lost his ODI captaincy, has not scored a century in any international format since November 2019.
Even in the Centurion Test win, Pujara scored 0 and 16, while Kohli scored 35 and 18 and Rahane scored only 48 and 20. Many pundits and experts feel that with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Hanuma Vihari waiting in the wings, how long of a rope can the Indian team management give these three batters, while not doing injustice to the youngsters.
They Are Looking In Good Touch And They Will Know How To Convert These Starts Into Big Knocks: Rahul Dravid On Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara And Ajinkya Rahane
However, India head coach Rahul Dravid has backed the struggling trio to come good and said that it is just a matter of time before they begin scoring big runs.
“I mean, it could be a variety of factors. It happens to people at various stages of their career when you play for a long time. It happens to everyone that you feel you’re batting well but the big scores don’t come often. I think it’s happening with all three of them,” Rahul Dravid told reporters in a virtual pre-match presser on Sunday.
“But it’s a good thing that they are looking in good touch and they will know how to convert these starts into big knocks. I do feel like a coach, watching them train and looking at them being in a good space, the big scores are just around the corner. Hate using the word concern. He is doing the best he can. He is certainly preparing well. Someone like him sets high standards for himself. Obviously, he would like to replicate the run of form and the scores,” Dravid added.
India plays the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg from January 3, 2021, and the third and final Test in Cape Town from January 11 onwards.
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