“When you play for your country, there’s so much passion and emotion” – Rahul Dravid plays down the Nabi-Rohit confrontation after 1st Super Over

India’s head coach Rahul Dravid played down the Mohammad Nabi-Rohit Sharma confrontation after the first Super Over at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday. Dravid feels there is always so much passion and emotion when you are representing your country at the top level.

Rohit was not pleased with the veteran Afghanistan all-rounder when he ran two more runs after the ball ricocheted off his legs for overthrows. As per the rules, Nabi was well within the rights to take those extra runs but many batters are known to decline these runs in the spirit of the game.

Virat Kohli, fielding at long-on, was also not happy with Nabi’s actions and decided not to throw the ball and thus Afghanistan was able to steal another run. The visitors posted 17 runs in the first Super Over after the match was tied after India added 212 on the board. Interestingly, the first Super Over was also tied as India managed the same score.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rahul Dravid said, “It can happen at the end. I think sometimes when you play for your country, there’s so much passion and emotion. I think it is incredible that even in dead-rubber games when it gets down to the wire, that competitiveness comes out, that passion comes out.”

“It’s fine. It’s part of the game. Some frustrations at times can happen but it is okay. It hit the non-striker and then it moved and I think it is fine, you know, you can run for those. To be honest, in the first T20I there was an incident where it hit the bat of our batsman and we ran a run as well. I think there’s nothing to read into, there’s nothing in the rules that stops you from actually running those runs. That’s fine, it’s part of the game,” he added.

Dravid added it is important that players don’t cross the line but it is important to have such passion and emotion.

“As long as it doesn’t cross the line… that’s why we have match referees and people who are there to look at these things. I think sometimes a little bit of that passion and emotion is really important. It shows that people care. I think as long as it doesn’t cross the line, it’s great,” said Dravid.

Meanwhile, all ended on a good note as Mohammad Nabi and Rohit Sharma were seen shaking hands in a friendly manner after India won the second Super Over.

India will now face England in a five-match Test series.