India head coach Rahul Dravid appeared at the post-match press conference following India's 106-run victory over England in the second Test in Vizag and was asked a lot of interesting questions, including the availability of Virat Kohli for the next three Tests.
India levelled the series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam after having lost the series opener by 28 runs in Hyderabad.
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Much of the talk heading into the second Test was whether this Indian team were ruing the absence of a leader and veteran like Kohli, who transmits a lot of exuberance and energy to the rest of the team whenever he is on the field.
The Indian team received a lot of flak for their performances in the first Test, with players like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer getting a lot of stick for being unable to reverse their mediocre run of form in red-ball cricket.
Not just that, even the captain, Rohit Sharma himself, was not spared the mercy, being heavily criticised for both his captaincy as well as his batting in the aftermath of the Hyderabad loss.
However, the team responded in style, registering a dominant victory over the Englishmen, with Gill and Iyer both making huge contributions - the former brought up his third Test ton in the 2nd innings, while the latter changed the equation of the game with Ben Stokes' run out during England's run chase.
MORE: Three reasons why India won the second Test against England
What did Rahul Dravid say about Virat Kohli?
Dravid revealed that the team management will get in touch with the 35-year-old, but also added that the selectors were best qualified to give the best answer about Kohli's availability.
I think it's best to ask the selectors. I am sure they are the best people to answer ahead of the team selection for the next three Tests. We will get to that. I am sure there will be selection over the next few days. We will connect with him and find out.
Why did Virat Kohli miss the first two Tests?
Kohli missed the first two Tests against England after the player withdrew from the squad citing personal reasons.
Kohli's long-time friend and Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers revealed the real reason behind Kohli's absence on his YouTube channel, stating that the player and his wife, Anushka Sharma, were expecting their second child.
Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it's family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people's priority is family. You can't judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made absolutely the right decision.
What next for India?
Having made it all-square in the five-match series, India will look forward to the third Test in Rajkot to build on their win in Vizag and take a 2-1 lead. The third Test will begin on February 15.
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