I want match-winning contributions from Kohli: Rahul Dravid

TIL Desk Sports/ Virat Kohli has set an altogether different bench-mark with his 70 international hundreds but Rahul Dravid, from a coach’s perspective, wants his best batter to make ‘match-winning contributions’ even if it is not a three-figure one like it has happened over the years.

Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019 but Dravid dismissed notions that the owner of 27 Test hundreds is “lacking in motivation”.

“As players, you go through these phases and I don’t think you need 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 in Birmingham on Friday.

“It’s not always focussing on those three figures like even a 70-odd (79) in a difficult situation in Cape Town (against South Africa) was a good innings. (He) 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 coaches’ perspective, we want contributions from him — match-winning contributions, whether it is a 50 or a 60,” the coach explained.