The Indian cricket fraternity has witnessed a lot of controversies and disputes since the appointment of former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid as the head coach. A lot has transpired behind the scenes between the Indian skipper Virat Kohli and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Kohli was sacked as the ODI skipper by the Indian board following the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup. Also, BCCI decided to appoint Rohit Sharma as the white-ball skipper. Further, the Mumbai-born was also made the vice-captain of the Test team in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

The change in ODI captaincy raised a lot of eyebrows. Many also condemned the Indian board for their poor handling of the entire issue. As Rahul Dravid interacted with the press ahead of India’s first Test against South Africa at the Supersport Park in Centurion, the head coach spoke at lengths regarding the whole fiasco. Watch big bash league live here.

Rahul Dravid told the media that picking a captain is a job of the selectors and he won’t like to comment on the same. The veteran added that he definitely had internal conversations with the players and other members of the system. However, Dravid refused to reveal the conversations.

“To be honest, that’s the role of the selectors and I am not going to get into individual conversations that I might or might not have had. It’s not the place and the time to be doing that and discussing that.

“And what internal conversations I have had with people is certainly not going to come out in the media and I am not going to start telling people publicly what conversations I have had,” Dravid said.

Virat Kohli is one of those players who really love Test cricket: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli

Though Dravid didn’t comment on the ODI captaincy matter, he was all praises for skipper Virat Kohli. The head coach spoke admirably about Virat’s leadership skills. Dravid hailed Kohli for his passion and dedication to the sport.

“Virat has played a huge role in that. As a player and as a leader, he has been fantastic. So, certainly looking forward to him carrying that forward to pushing and challenging this team.

“He’s one of those players who really love Test cricket and looks forward to competing and playing in it. Hopefully, he has a great series and will benefit the team as well,” he added.

India are scheduled to play a three-match series against South Africa. The visitors were deprived of a warm-up game before the first Test match which can make things difficult for Virat Kohli’s men and they can take time to get used to the conditions. 

When Dravid was questioned regarding the same, he asserted that the practice games weren’t possible due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, the coach is confident about the team’s preparation for the iconic series as the players have worked really hard for the center-wicket preparation. 

“That’s just the way things are at the moment. Kind of schedules we are working with, the Covid situation and bubbles… not always easy to get what you want. We have really worked hard with center-wicket preparation,” Dravid told reporters on the eve of the first Test against South Africa.

“Just getting to know the boys and studying them upfront,” says Dravid on his experience of working with the team

Rahul Dravid

Indian cricket team

Notably, the three-match Test series against South Africa is going to be a crucial one for the Indian team. India haven’t won a Test series in South Africa and they will be hoping to create history this time around.  Check these best betting apps in india here.

Virat Kohli’s side will be buzzing with confidence as they have achieved unprecedented success while playing abroad in the purest format of the game. India defeated Australia in the four-match series by 2-1 followed by a victory over England by 2-1 in four Test games. 

Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid also opened up on his stint as a coach with the senior cricket team. Dravid revealed that at present his main focus is to know more about the boys and observe how they function. 

“Just getting to know the boys and studying them upfront. The initial part of my coaching was observing how things are going and seeing what they are doing and yet not necessarily coming in and trying to change too much straight away.

“But just doing things in my own way and sort of getting the rest of the support staff, who are also new, getting them integrated, getting them to understand how the boys function in this environment,” Dravid had said in his interview with bcci.tv.

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