Comparing Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid's Test record in West Indies
Virat Kohli's emerging days in red-ball cricket overlapped with Rahul Dravid's final phase during a crucial transition phase in the Indian cricket team's history. Among the handful of tours that both these ace batters were part of together, the 2011 away series against West Indies stands out.
The Men in Blue toured the Caribbean for an all-format tour in 2011, which included a total of three Tests. India ended up winning the series by a 1-0 margin, where barring a century from Rahul Dravid in the series opener, the duo had nothing memorable to take away.
Virat Kohli recently reminisced about the 2011 tour with a photo alongside Rahul Dravid, who is now the head coach of the Indian team. As Kohli mentioned in his social media post, they are the only two members that are part of both the 2011 and 2023 tours.
West Indies was a challenging place to bat freely in the past due to its pace and bounce, which augured well for the home team's illustrious pace attack.
However, the pitches of late have been sedentary, which makes a huge difference in the statistics of batters from different eras. The quality of the West Indies team also plays a role in the final numbers.
On that note, let us dissect Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid's red-ball numbers in the Caribbean.
#1 Appearances
Rahul Dravid made a total of 17 Test appearances in the Caribbean, the most he has made in an away country. Out of those contests, the highest have come at Sabina Park - four.
His maiden experience in the West Indies came during India's tour back in 1997. Across the entire first Test, he scored 94 runs while facing 290 deliveries. In the second and third Tests, he scored 57 and 78 runs, respectively, while facing a total of 425 balls.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has made nine appearances in the Caribbean so far, which includes his maiden Test match. The former India skipper was part of three tours in 2011, 2016, and 2019. He was dismissed for five runs in his debut innings by Fidel Edwards while he notched a golden duck in his most recent appearance in the Caribbean.
#2 Runs and average
Across 28 red-ball innings in the Caribbean, Rahul Dravid amassed 1511 runs at an average of 65.70. The former India skipper scored 430 runs in Sabina Park across four Tests.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has scored 463 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.80. The former India skipper could not make much of an impression on his first trip to the Caribbean, but he has recovered well across his last two tours and has an opportunity to spruce the numbers in the upcoming series.
#3 Milestones
Rahul Dravid recorded three hundreds and 11 fifties in the West Indies. The ace batter scored three fifties on his maiden tour in 1997 and scored his first hundred during the next tour in 2002. His highest score in the Caribbean came during the 2006 tour, where he scored 146 runs at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.
In comparison, Virat Kohli has crossed the three-figure mark in the West Indies only once, which marked his first out of his seven double hundreds. He scored 200 in the first Test of the 2016 tour and to go along with it, Kohli also has two half-centuries to his name in the Caribbean as well.
The first Test between India and West Indies is scheduled to take place from July 12 onwards.
Will Virat Kohli have an impactful series against the West Indies? Let us know what you think.