Rahul Dravid praises Virat Kohli: Rahul Dravid has witnessed Virat Kohli’s rise to prominence in the Indian team since he was a teenager. Dravid was nearing the end of his career, but Kohli was rising through the ranks.
In fact, Kohli scored his first Test century against Australia in 2012 during Dravid’s final series for India. What’s, even more, is that Kohli scored a 100 in Dravid’s last ODI. Dravid scored 69 and Kohli sizzled with 107 as the two put on a 170-run organization for the fifth wicket.
Today, after 12 years, Kohli is a legend of the game, while Dravid is Group India’s lead trainer. Dravid had to wait almost 16 months before he saw Kohli score his first Test century in more than three years from the dressing room. Rahul Dravid must have been asked a gazillion times about Kohli and his form over the past few months, but The Wall never lost faith in Kohli.
Things started to fall into place once he scored that century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. The epic score of 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup made Virat Kohli the tournament’s highest run-scorer. He then scored two centuries in three ODIs in a short time and a century in a Test match after 40 months.
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What did Dravid say?
“When you become a player of Virat Kohli’s stature in India, people have such high expectations. I observed the same when I played with Sachin Tendulkar and batted alongside him. Everyone expects him to score runs and a century. Furthermore, this occurs as a result of his setting a standard.
Because he has scored centuries so frequently, people are unaware of how challenging it is to achieve a hundred. At the conclusion of India vs. Australia 2023 Test series, Dravid told the broadcasters, “And then obviously, the pressure builds.”
“A player of Kohli’s caliber wants to stay involved and contribute. He thinks, “How can I contribute?” when he looks at it. How might I dominate the game for India?’ Additionally, he must have had the impression that I am unable to deliver the same world-class performance in Test matches as the team has become accustomed to.”
Kohli’s magnificent knock against Australia
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the stark contrast between some of Kohli’s previous centuries and his 186-run outing. By the time Kohli reached his century, he had scored his runs off 364 balls and only hit five boundaries. He even went an entire session without scoring a four. Although the surface was favorable for batsmen, effort was still required.
Virat Kohli adapted to the circumstances, knowing that India needed to surpass Australia’s first-innings total of 480 runs, which he accomplished with his 28th century. Dravid Warner, inspired by Kohli’s tenacity, grit, and determination, emphasized that youngsters can learn from this modern-day great’s ability to adapt and play to the situation, regardless of size.
“I hear a lot of “this is my style and I’m only going to play like this,” and if young kids are watching, we keep talking, and sometimes as coaches, we get frustrated too. Rahul Dravid noted, “In this match, a big player has demonstrated that you can play differently and still score a century for the team if the situation is tough, the team is slightly on the defensive, and the opposition is not giving you boundaries.”
“In his first 100 runs, he only hit five fours. He was aware of what the team needed in that situation. He could have become frustrated if he thought, “I will smash, dominate.” This is a unique quality of a major player. No matter how good you are at playing, you need to be humble and willing to.”
