'Virat Kohli knows when to be aggressive and when to control the game' - Rahul Dravid
BAN vs IND 2022-23: India is giving a hard time to Bangladesh across departments. Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid lauded Virat Kohli for his controlled aggression and gameplay control abilities.
FollowFormer Indian skipper and top-order batter Virat Kohli, with his great understanding of the game, can easily decipher when to switch gears and control the proceedings, said head coach Rahul Dravid. He was also mighty impressed with how the Indian premier batter maintained his intensity during training. Kohli found form during the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this year after enduring an extended lean patch. He continued his magnificent run in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Last week, the former India captain brought up his 44th One-Day International (ODI) hundred.
"He [Virat] knows when to be aggressive and when to control the game. It's incredible to watch and a good sign for us if he can build up. Virat has an incredible template in 50-over cricket. His record speaks for itself. It's phenomenal the number of games he's played," Dravid said in a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on its website.
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Dravid added that Kohli's training intensity never wanes whether he is in form or not, and that's something the youngsters in the team can learn. "He feels he's back and is training as hard as I have seen him. For me, that has been a standout, watching him train this past year. That never changes irrespective of whether he is doing well, which is a great lesson for many of the group's young players," added Dravid.
The former Indian batter felt teams have become more aggressive and are pushing for results as the race for the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 final spots heats up. "Teams have already been more aggressive over the last bit; we have seen many more results. Teams are playing for more results now, especially with the World Test Championship points at stake," added Dravid.
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Dravid believes teams must be able to adapt to every situation to succeed in Test cricket. "I still think adaptability is going to be very important in Test cricket, the ability to play aggressively when you need to... or you can play aggressively with the kind of squad you have or the position you find yourself in the game... and then, the opportunity to play a difficult period or day of Test cricket either with the bat or ball and knuckle down and play some hard cricket. The teams that have that adaptability or the ability to switch even in between a Test match are the ones that are going to be very successful," he continued.
Donald one the best I have ever played in my career
As India and Bangladesh clash in the two-match Test series, the hosts' bowling coach Allan Donald has apologised to Dravid for sledging the Indian batter during a tri-nation series match in 1997. "There was one ugly incident in Durban when I talk about. Dravid and Sachin were smoking us to all parts. I overstepped the mark. I've just nothing but massive respect for Rahul Dravid," he stated.
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"I would love to sit with Rahul, go out for dinner, and say sorry to him again about what happened that day. I had to do something silly that brought his wicket. But I still apologise for what I said that day—what a great guy, a great bloke. So Rahul, if you are listening, I would love to have a night out with you," Donald said in an interview on Sony Sports Network.
On the other hand, Dravid was all praise for the former pacer, adding that he would love to pick his brains. "He was a great bowler. He's one of the best I have ever played in my career. When I see him now and meet him on the ground, 'It's much nicer to see you like this without a ball in your hand and top of your mark with the sunscreen on the face.'
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"He [Donald] was an intimidating fast bowler and terrific. I would love to catch [up] with him and talk about fast bowling. He's gone on to become a very successful coach, coaching a lot of young fast bowlers. We have a lot of young guys, and it will be good to pick his brains. Just the privilege of sharing the field with him is phenomenal," Dravid said.
(With inputs from PTI)
