In the four Test matches against Australia preceding the World Cup, Virat Kohli scored 692 runs at an average of 86.50 with four centuries. He led India from the front – first as the stand-in captain and then as India’s new Test captain in Sydney.
Just because he failed with the bat in the World Cup semi-final against the same opposition, doesn’t take anything away from what Virat has achieved on the tour Down Under, believes Rahul Dravid.
"We have short memory,” Dravid said in Melbourne. “He did play his absolute best at the Test matches. In fact, he was sensational.
"I cannot think of an Indian batsman who had come to Australia and played as well as Virat Kohli did in the Test matches. We did see his absolute best. Unfortunately we didn't see it the other night (semi final match). But that’s part and parcel of the sports," said the former India captain, who has an impressive record in Australia himself.
Disappointment write large on the faces of the Indian cricket fans after they were comprehensively defeated by Australia in the semi-final in Sydney. Dravid, however, reiterated the fact that they lost to a better team.
"Realistically, India didn't beat Australia at all during these four months at any Test matches and tri-series and New Zealand did play some fantastic cricket at home,” he said. "I think the two best teams made to finals.
“India did as well as they could and it was quite difficult to get to the semifinals. They were a young team and with these conditions, it was going to be difficult to get over the Australian hurdle," Dravid acknowledged.
