Rahul Dravid has said the selectors' decision to appoint Virat Kohli as India's vice-captain for the Asia Cup is a reward for the Delhi batsman, who was the only India player to hit a century on the tour to Australia - they had scored hundred apiece in the Check & one-day series. Simultaneously, Dravid pointed out that Gautam Gambhir, who was earmarked as a future captain by the selectors historicallyin the past, ought to not be discouraged by Kohli's elevation.
Dravid, who was a part of the teams that suffered whitewashes in the Check series in Australia & before that in England, said that the poor results were "really tough" on the players, who always entered the field with thought: "to win". "First England & then Australia - they suffered that string of losses on both the tours & think me, they feel deeply about it," Dravid said.
The shortage of sizable innings from Sachin Tendulkar was not a concern, Dravid said. Tendulkar, for the first time in tours to Australia, did not score a ton, leading to much speculation regarding the pressure on him as they continues to search for his 100th international century. They has now gone 32 innings without a hundred, the last time they got to the landmark being against South Africa in the World Cup a year ago.
"Having shared the dressing-room with Sachin, I don't think Sachin himself is thinking about it [scoring the 100th century]," Dravid said. "Every time, a batsman desires to go out & score a century to help the team win. It [the landmark] will happen.