ENG vs IND: He Is Ticking All The Right Boxes, He Is Doing What He Needs To Do - Rahul Dravid On Virat Kohli
Published - 30 Jun 2022, 12:50 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:09 AM
India captain Rahul Dravid attended a presser ahead of the rescheduled fifth Test against England and one of the major questions he answered was about former captain Virat Kohli’s batting form. Kohli led India to a 2-1 series lead in 2021 in England, before stepping down earlier this year.
The 33-year-old Kohli has been straining for runs of late due to which his credentials are being questioned. However, a number of former cricketers have backed the Delhi-born cricketer to make amends and return to his very best. Kohli has not made a century in any format of the game since November 2019 and had a poor IPL 2022 as per his standards, as he suffered three golden ducks in the season.
Dravid also heaped praise on Kohli for the latter’s work ethic and said that Kohli’s hunger and desire to taste success haven’t diminished by any means and are the same as before.
His Desire, His Hunger And His Whole Attitude, Everything Is Ticking All The Right Boxes: Rahul Dravid On Virat Kohli
Rahul Dravid spoke extensively on Virat Kohli and his form and pointed out how good he looked in India’s warm-up match against Leicestershire. During the warm-up game, Kohli got scores of 33 and 67 in challenging batting conditions.
“He’s not on the wrong side of his 30s. He’s an incredibly fit guy, and one of the most hard-working guys I’ve come across. His desire, his hunger and his whole attitude, looking after himself and his preparations, even the way he batted in Leicester in those conditions, scoring the kind of 50s and 60s. He is ticking all the right boxes, he is doing what he needs to do,” Dravid said.
The head coach clearly stated that more than scoring centuries, India expects Kohli to chip in with match-winning contributions.
“As a player, you go through these kinds of phases. I don’t think in Virat’s case, it is lack of motivation or desire. It’s not about scoring three figures, even a 70 on a difficult pitch is worth appreciation. In Cape Town, he didn’t convert it into a century, but it was a good score. Going by the standards he has set for himself, people only see hundreds as a success. But from a coach’s perspective, we want contributions from him, whether it’s a 50 or a 60,” he stated.
India will face off against England in Edgbaston from July 1 in the fifth Test of the series which the visitors lead 2-1.
