Value of singles has diminished because of T20 cricket: Rahul Dravid

New Delhi: Former Indian skipper and incumbent India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid feels that taking singles always put the bowlers under pressure but the art of rotating strike has diminished with the emergence of Twenty20.

While talking to The Indian Express, 'Wall' explained the importance of singles. “The batsmen are either hitting or defending, they are not rotating the strike. You need to rotate the strike to put the bowler under pressure. If you are hitting straight to the covers and point fielders all the time, you are putting yourself under pressure, and then you are forced to play the big shot.

“So, as a batsman, taking singles is the key. And that’s what the boys need to try and develop. I think the values of singles had diminished because most these players play T20,” told Dravid.

However, at the same time, the 42-year-old coach believes that there is no lack of temperament in today's batsmen and they should be given some time to settle at this level.

“Look at someone like AB (de Villiers) or Virat Kohli, do you think they lack temperament? Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli have seven Test match hundreds under their belt. None of us from my generation had as many so quickly in our career.

“Sometimes we are very quick to judge and quick to criticize. I am not saying that they do not need to improve but we tend to look at the past and believe that things were better then,” stated Dravid, who played 164 Test for India and was one of the most classical batsmen of his generation.