Virat Kohli is one of the all-time greats of the game. Over the years, Kohli has grabbed the brass ring and taken it places never seen before. He has had so much success and with such a high level of consistency that even his 40s or 50s are considered a sign of bad form.
But India's head coach Rahul Dravid is not after the now-infamous three-figure mark for Virat Kohli. He just wants his best batter to rake in match-winning innings.
Kohli hasn't scored an international hundred since November 2019, but Dravid dismissed notions that the former Indian captain is lacking in motivation
"As players, you go through these phases and I don't think you need the motivation to be very honest with you and I think in Virat's case it is nothing to do with lack of motivation or desire," Dravid said ahead of India's rescheduled fifth Test against England starting here on Friday.
"It's not always focussing on those three figures like even a 70-odd (79) in a difficult situation in Cape Town (vs SA) was a good inning. Didn't convert into a three-figure, but it was a good score.
"Obviously, the standards that he has set, people only see hundreds as a success but for me, from a coach's perspective, we want contributions from him -- match-winning contributions, whether it is a 50 or a 60," the coach explained.
For Dravid, Kohli, who is nearing 34, isn't on the wrong side of 30 as many would like to believe.
"In my opinion, he is on the right side of 30 and he is an incredibly fit guy. He is one of the most hardworking guys that I have come across and his desire and hunger and the whole attitude of looking after himself,' he said.
"And his preparation, even the way he batted at Leicester, batting in those conditions and scoring the 50s and 60s, keen on playing against our bowlers, batting against Bumrah and all these guys. He is ticking all right boxes and doing everything he needs to do to come out of it," Dravid said in a reassuring tone.
Virat will next be seen in the fifth and final test vs England at Edgbaston. It was under his captaincy his 2021 that Indian Team was on the verge of beating England in England. Right now, the visitors are leading the series 2-1.
(Quotes from PTI)
