Former Indian opener, Aakash Chopra said Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli combination should just look to take Indian cricket forward in the direction it was progressing, especially in Test cricket. Speaking about the much-anticipated new combination of captain and coach, Chopra said Dravid commands respect in the dressing room and he will fit well in the current scheme of things in the Indian Test team.

Recently, during a chat on Star Sports’ show Follow the Blues, the former India opener said both Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid have the highest regards for Test cricket and it will augur well for Indian cricket. Rahul Dravid will take over a hugely successful Indian Test side from Ravi Shastri, who oversaw several memorable victories, including 2 Test series wins in Australia, during his tenure as head coach.

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Dravid replaced Shastri, who stepped down after India’s T20 World Cup campaign. Rahul Dravid will be working with stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane in his first Test as head coach when India will be locking horns with New Zealand in a series opener in Kanpur from November 25. Virat Kohli will be joining the team and leading it from the 2nd Test in Mumbai as he has been rested for the opener.

Describing the same, Aakash Chopra said, “With Kohli, see the fact that Rahul Dravid he just commands respect, he doesn’t demand it. You know if Rahul is there, there is a natural feeling of respect for him because of what he has done, that’s one, and what he is as a person.”

He further added, “If you talk about Test cricket, it’s very interesting that this format is very close to Rahul Dravid’s heart and the same can be said for Virat Kohli in regards to Test matches. The direction in which the Indian cricket team plays, they just have to continue going in that direction.”

Meanwhile, Irfan Pathan said he doesn’t foresee any problems in the tenure of the Kohli-Dravid combination, especially in Test cricket and the presence of the former Indian skipper in the dressing room will boost the morale of the team, especially the youngsters in the side.

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Talking about the same, Irfan Pathan said, “This will be a new partnership between Rahul Dravid as well as Virat Kohli, the captain. Especially in the longer format, I don’t see any problem because Rahul Dravid is a kind of guy who likes to come into the system, he doesn’t change the system much. Now obviously, he’s a very technical – tactical guy but he will not disrupt, he never used to disrupt even when he was captain, he always used to help boost the confidence of the player.”