Virat Kohli made his Test debut in June, 2011 and he walked in to bat with the ever-dependable Rahul Dravid awaiting in the middle during the first Test of the West Indies tour in Kingston. Kohli would score 4 and 15 during the Tests while Dravid, a veteran, made 40 and 112 and and took the player-of-the-match award as India registered a 63-run win.
Fast forward to December 2021 and this time it’s Dravid who has arrived as the new head coach of Indian cricket team with Kohli, a veteran of 97 Tests, having created a legacy of his own. Dravid has watched his progress both as a teammate and then as a neutral observer and knows the impact he has had both as a batter and leader.
“He (Kohli) has always improved, constantly got better,” Dravid said in a video shared by BCCI on the eve of the first Test against South Africa. “He’s one of those players that keeps evolving and keeps pushing himself. He’s had great success wherever he has played.”
The 33-year-old Kohli has 7,801 runs at 50.65 including 27 hundreds and 27 fifties and is widely regarded as one of the finest batters to have played the game. Dravid, himself an all-time great, terms Kohli’s impact as ‘phenomenal’ and credited him for driving a culture of fitness and ambition.
“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. Just the sort of performances he has had for India over the past 10 years, the match-winning performances with the bat, the way he has led the team, the successes he has had on the field, have been terrific,” Dravid said.
“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,” he added.
Dravid took over as the full-time India coach last month with the New Zealand home series and says he’s enjoyed his time so far with the team. “Felt really welcome and enjoyed my time so far. It’s been good but it’s been hectic. Played a lot of games in the two months that I have been here and we have travelled a bit as well,” Dravid said.
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