India captain Virat Kohli during indoor practice at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of 2nd Test vs New Zealand
Former India captain and current head coach Rahul Dravid gave throwdowns to Virat Kohli on the eve of the second Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Indian team was forced to practice indoors due to the rain in Mumbai but that didn’t mean there was any shortage of intensity from the Indian players. Kohli, who is making a comeback to the side after a short break, was seen batting in the nets. Dravid too was seen giving throwdowns to the current captain. The first India vs New Zealand Test match ended in a thrilling draw in Kanpur as debutant Rachin Ravindra and last man Ajaz Patel batted 52 deliveries on the last day to save the match for their team.
The Indian cricket team posted a video of Kohli in action in the indoor facility along with Dravid and other teammates on Instagram. “60 Seconds of Pure Joy! V.I.R.A.T K.O.H.L.I takes centre stage,” was the caption on the video.
Watch the Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid video here:
India will be looking to win yet another series at home by winning the second Test in Mumbai, but it won’t be easy against a New Zealand side that is difficult to beat on any surface these days.
Kohli, who had decided to give the three-match T20I series and the first Test in Kanpur a miss due to workload management, will be back as the Indian captain in the series decider. In the video shared by BCCI, Kohli was seen going through fitness drills before padding up to face the bowlers.
The Mumbai Test, which begins on Friday, will mark the first chapter of the Kohli-Dravid era. Dravid took over from Shastri as India’s head coach after the T20 World Cup.
Kohli’s return is certain to bolster the Indian batting line-up which has been struggling a bit. Who will Kohli replace in the XI is still a matter of discussion. Debutant Shreyas Iyer has done more than enough to retain his spot in the side but the team management has given no signs whatsoever to indicate that they are looking drop either Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane. Both the experienced batters have been out of form of late.
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“You have to understand the situation of where the team is placed, you have to understand where individuals stand. You have to communicate well, speak to the individuals and approach them in a way, explain things clearly. We have made changes in the past looking at combination, we have explained to individuals and they have understood our mindset behind going in with certain combination,” said Kohli in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
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