After Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt note for Rahul Dravid, the Indian head coach has now spoken about Kohli's Test debut back in 2011 and acknowledged the special talent he saw in the cricketer even when he was just starting his Test career. Speaking in a video posted by BCCI, Dravid shared his memories, saying, “I remember Virat playing his first Test series. He was this young kid, who had done well in ODI cricket and was finding his feet in Test cricket. But you could see that there was something special talent out there.”
Dravid further added that it was quite evident from the initial impressions that Kohli would have a very successful career in the game. He believed that Kohli could take immense pride in his journey. Dravid also expressed surprise at being the coach of the senior team, as it was not something he had anticipated.
“But seeing him grow from being a young player to a senior veteran has been nice. It’s been great for me to see that journey. I think of myself as a young coach who has also started his journey (laughs). So, the tables have turned a little bit,” Dravid added.
Watch video:
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12 years on Rahul Dravid & Virat Kohli reminisce some special Dominica memories _#TeamIndia | #WIvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/HRkBLS2Lam
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 12, 2023
Kohli, too, was present in the video and responded to the coach’s kind words. He said that Dravid has been coaching for a long time and hence, his comments about being a young coach is rather modest.
“I never imagined that 12 years later, I would return to the same venue but in different capacities. Life has come a full circle,” Kohli said.
Back in 2011, India managed to draw the final Test of the series, securing a 1-0 victory. This was Kohli’s debut series after being quite successful in limited-overs cricket. He had also led India to the Under 19 World Cup triumph and was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning team. The 2011 Test series was Dravid’s final one in the Caribbean.
