Ashwin was within law but preferred to have warned Buttler first: Dravid

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Jaipur, March 27: Former Rajasthan Royals captain and coach Rahul Dravid said Kings XI Punjab skipper R Ashwin ideally should have warned Jos Buttler before 'Mankading' him but added that what the bowler did was within the laws of the game.

"It's within the laws of the game and that's pretty clear. So I don't have a problem with someone deciding to do it. Ashwin was well within his rights to do what he did. However, personally, I would prefer it if somebody warns someone first," Dravid told The Times of India.

"That would be my personal choice, but I respect someone's view to think differently. I might not agree with it necessarily, but I would just have to agree to disagree whether someone should run someone out without warning him," he added.

Dravid also said some of the reactions were overblown. "I think some of the reactions were overblown. Questioning Ashwin's character because he did that is totally wrong. He has every right to his view," the former Royals skipper said.

"You might not agree with it, but it was well within his rights to do it and that does not make him a bad person. Like I said, I would rather he had warned first, but if he chose not to do it, then that's his interpretation and you can't have issue with that," Dravid said.

Ashwin also said later that he didn't really care for the spirit of the game but Dravid labelled it as a personal choice. "It is not about being a gentleman or a non-gentleman. This is not a judgement on his character, but his reading of the law. He has not cheated anybody, nor is he a bad person because he did that," he said.