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'When I batted with Sachin...': Rahul Dravid exudes class with ultimate 'Tendulkar' remark for Virat Kohli
Today, Virat Kohli is a legend of the game, while Rahul Dravid is Team India's head coach. Dravid had to wait almost 16 months to finally see from the dressing room Kohli scoring his first Test century in over three years.
Rahul Dravid has seen Virat Kohli from the time he was a teenager breaking into the Indian team. Kohli was coming through the ranks when Dravid was reaching the end of his career. In fact, during Dravid's final series for India, Kohli scored his maiden Test century – against Australia in the 2012 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If that you feel wasn't written, in another huge coincidence, Kohli also scored a hundred in Dravid's final ODI for India. Dravid scored 69 and Kohli sizzled with 107 as the two put on a 170-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Today, 12 years later, Kohli is a legend of the game, while Dravid is Team India's head coach. Dravid had to wait almost 16 months to finally see from the dressing room Kohli scoring his first Test century in over three years. Over the last few months, Dravid must have been asked about Kohli and his form a gazillion times and not once did The Wall's lost his faith in Kohli. And why would it? It was always only a matter of time before The King reclaimed his throne. Once he smacked that century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, things started falling back in place. The epic knock of 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, emerging as the highest run-scorer of the tournament, striking two centuries in three ODIs not too long and now a Test century after 40 months has culminated the journey of Kohli's return to the top.
"In India when you become a player as big as Virat Kohli, people have such high expectations. When I played and used to bat with Sachin Tendulkar, I saw the same. Everyone wants him to score a century, score runs. And this happens because he has set a standard. He has scored centuries so regularly that people don't realise how tough it is to score a hundred. And then obviously, the pressure builds," Dravid told the broadcasters at the end of the India vs Australia 2023 Test series.
"A player of Kohli's calibre wants to contribute, stay involved. He looks at it in a way 'How can I contribute? What can I do to win the match for India?' And somewhere he must have felt that I am not able to give that world-class performance in Test matches which the team has become habitual of."
What caught everyone's attention was how Kohli's innings of 186 was a stark contrast to some of his previous centuries. Kohli scored his runs off 364 balls and had hit just five boundaries by the time he reached his century and had even gone an entire session without scoring a single four. Sure, the pitch was good to bat on but application was still needed.
Kohli played as per the situation knowing that India needed to overhaul Australia's first-innings total of 480, which thanks to his 28th century was ensured. Moved by Kohli's tenacity, grit and determination, Dravid highlighted the ability to mould and play according to the situation irrespective of how big a player, is something youngsters can learn watching this modern-day great.
"If young kids are watching - we keep talking and sometimes as coach, we get frustrated too - I hear a lot that 'this is my style and I'm only going to play like this'. In this match a big player has shown that if the situation is tough and the team is slightly on the defensive, the opposition is not giving you boundaries, you can play differently and still score a century for the team," Dravid pointed out.
"He scored just five fours in his first 100 runs. He could have gotten frustrated - felt I will smash, dominate - but he knew what the team needed in that situation. This is a special trait of a big player. Doesn't matter how great a player you are, you need to have humility, the will to."
