Indian head coach Rahul Dravid was all praise for Test match skipper Virat Kohli as he lauded the modern-day batting great for his “phenomenal” contribution to Indian cricket.
Despite the recent dip in his returns, Kohli averages 50.65 with 7,801 runs and 27 hundreds in Test cricket over 97 matches. As captain, the record is only better, as the great cricketer averages 55.36 with 5,703 runs over 66 Tests. Under his captaincy, India boasts of an incredible success rate. They have won 39 and lost only 16 Tests.
Dravid said Kohli’s body of work and progress has been fantastic to watch from the outside, and now he is looking forward to take Indian cricket to new heights with him.
“In a lot of ways, he has driven a culture in this team of fitness, of energy and ambition, which is from the outside quite fascinating to watch. Now just coming into the environment, and being part of it and supporting him along the way is something I am really looking forward to,”
said the legend in a video shared over BCCI.tv.
Dravid is proud of the journey that Kohli has had, from being the young man who batted on Test debut with him in West Indies to what he is today – one of the greats of Indian cricket.
“I was there when Virat Kohli made his debut. I was there when he played his first Test match and I batted with him in that particular game. It’s phenomenal to see 10 years later how he has grown as a cricketer and also as a person,”
he added.
In South Africa, Kohli’s men have the chance to conquer India’s final frontier by winning their maiden Test series in the country. The Men in Blue have not won a Test series in the rainbow nation, with their best previous result being a 1-1 draw on the 2010-11 trip.
