WATCH: ‘Wrong-footed..’, Rahul Dravid mocks Indian ‘bowler’ ahead of IND vs SA clash
Rahul Dravid admitted that the team does not have a suitable sixth bowling option but gave a hint as to which part-time bowler the team could rely on.
Team India’s head coach on Saturday playfully mocked India’s star batsman Virat Kohli’s bowling action. During the pre-match press conference ahead of the IND vs SA Cricket World Cup clash, Dravid was asked about the impact of not having a sixth bowling option with the departure of Hardik Pandya.
The Indian head coach indirectly mentioned Kohli and said that the team has a “left-foot inswinger threat” whom the team can back for a couple of overs.
“Yes, we don’t have the option of having a proper sixth bowler, but we have a wrong-footed inswinger threat who we can back for a couple of overs.
He came close to doing it in the last game when the crowd pushed him to do it. The response from the team and the players has been really good.” Dravid said.
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Notably, Hardik Pandya was ruled out for the rest of the World Cup after failing to recover from an ankle injury he suffered during the Bangladesh clash on October 19.
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We needed pace backup: Rahul Dravid
The head coach was also asked about the reason why he chose pacer Prasidh Krishna as a replacement for all-rounder Pandya. Dravid revealed that the team needed a backup option to keep pace.
“We had a spin backer, we had a batting backer and we had a bowling backer across the category. So, we recognized that if this is a combination that we’re going to take, and if there’s an illness issue, or a little niggle, or an injury, then we need to have a backup for that. [pace] also”, Dravid said.
Dravid also spoke about Kohli failing to match Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most ODI centuries in cricket history. Kohli came close to achieving the feat in IND vs SA but was dismissed in the 88th over. However, the head coach revealed that Kohli seemed relaxed and his focus was not on personal milestones.
“Virat has been really relaxed and willing to do what he has been doing for India. I have not seen anything different in the way Virat goes about his business, without worrying about her 49th or 50th birthday or his birthday.
” he said.
