Dravid bats for Test Championship and day-night Tests

Rahul Dravid delivered an astounding speech at the the annual Sir Donald Bradman Oration for 2011 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The Indian batting star covered a range of topics and made a strong point about why cricket needs to find a way to accommodate all three formats.

The 2nd highest run-getter in Tests also spoke about the effect Sir Donald Bradman had on him, and in fact, every Indian cricket fan while also saying that "the Indian cricket team is in fact, India itself, in microcosm." "The Indian cricket team is in fact, India itself, in microcosm.

A sport that was played first by princes, then their subordinates, then the urban elite, is now a sport played by all of India," the former Indian captain said.

Dravid who became the first foreigner to deliver a speech at the event added the Indian cricket teams presents a view of the country itself with myriad languages and cultures. "In this last decade, the Indian team represents more than ever before, the country we come from - of people from vastly different cultures, who speak different languages, follow different religions, belong to all classes of society," he said. "I went around our dressing room to work out how many languages could be spoken in there and the number I have arrived at is: 15 including Shona and Akrikaans." He however said that, in spite of the variety he thoroughly enjoyed his stint as the national skipper: "Most foreign captains, I think, would baulk at the idea. But, when I led India, I enjoyed it, I marvelled at the range of difference and the ability of people from so many different backgrounds to share a dressing room, to accept, accommodate and respect that difference.

In a world growing more insular, that is a precious quality to acquire, because it stays for life and helps you understand people better, understand the significance of the other," he said. Dravid said that while it was tough to allocate an equal number of games to all formats, a 'middle path' should be found to reduce 'the merry-go-round that the players find themselves in' "Cricket must find a middle path," Dravid said. "It must scale down this mad merry-go-round that teams and players find themselves in: heading off for two-Test tours and seven-match ODI series with a few Twenty20s thrown in." The newly appointed Rajastan Royals skipper said it will be a challenge for the administration to draw crowds for Test cricket and that day-night Tests could be the answer. "Test cricket deserves to be protected, it is what the world's best know they will be judged by. Where I come from, nation versus nation is what got people interested in cricket in the first place. When I hear the news that a country is playing without some of its best players, I always wonder, what do their fans think? "People may not be able to turn up to watch Test cricket but everyone follows the scores.

We may not fill 65,000 capacity stadiums for Test matches, but we must actively fight to get as many as we can in, to create a Test match environment that the players and the fans feed off. Anything but the sight of Tests played on empty grounds," he added. "For that, we have got to play Test cricket that people can watch. I don't think day-night Tests or a Test championship should be dismissed. In March of last year I played a day-night first-class game in Abu Dhabi for the MCC - and my experience from that was that day-night Tests is an idea seriously worth exploring. There may be some challenges in places where there is dew but the visibility and durability of the pink cricket ball was not an issue," he said. The quintessential batsman also supported the idea of a Test Championship saying it would drive players and teams to be more competitive.

"Similarly, a Test championship, with every team and player driving themselves to be winners of a sought after title, seems like it would have a context to every game. Keeping Tests alive may mean different innovations in different countries - maybe taking it to smaller cities, playing it in grounds with smaller capacities like New Zealand has thought of doing, maybe reviving some old venues in the West Indies, like the old Recreation Ground in Antigua," the 38 year old said.

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4:28 AM

Tendulkar very closer to 100th ton, Dravid crosses 13,000-run mark

Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS) Rahul Dravid Thursday became the second player in the world to score 13,000 runs in Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, who himself was 33 short of his 100th international century, as India ended the third day of the third and last cricket Test at 281 for three in reply to the West Indies' first-innings score of 590.

Dravid missed his hundred by a mere 18 runs, though he crossed the thousand runs in the calendar year, and Tendulkar was still there batting on 67 and with him at stumps was V.V.S.Laxman on 32.

All the top-order Indian batsmen, barring Virender Shewag (37), got half-centuries, Dravid top-scoring with 82 (149 balls, 11x4) was involved in two good partnerships -- 71 for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir and 86 runs for the third with Tendulkar.

Gautam Gambhir (55) and Sehwag gave India the customary rousing start, knocking up 67 runs at over five runs an over, after off-spinner Ravichandran Aswhin (5/156) picked up his second five-wicket haul as the West Indies innings came to a close within 15 minutes of the morning play.

Sehwag brought up the 50 of the innings, greeting Darren Sammy with a huge six over the covers.

Sammy, however, was rewarded for his accuracy in his third over when he pitched it just short of driving length and it nipped back enough to rattle Sehwag's stumps. This was the third time the Indian opener was dismissed by the West Indies captain in the series.

India were 74/1 at lunch break, and in the second session Gambhir and Dravid got going untroubled. Dravid reached the milestone of 13,000 runs with a classic drive for four off Sammy as he moved from 19 to 23.

Gambhir reached his half-century with a lofted shot over mid-wicket off Sammy and a ball later struck the medium-pacer to the on for a four.

The re-introduction of fast bowler Ravi Rampaul did the trick. Gambhir looked good for a big innings when he tried to hook a bouncer and was adjudged caught behind. The Delhi batsman was seen shaking his head as he walked off and the TV replays and snickometre were not conclusive.

In walked hometown hero Tendulkar to a rousing welcome from the crowd in the hope of his hundredth international century. Even he looked confident and secure, timing his shots to perfection till an intended late-cut off Devendra Bishoo was dropped by Carlton Baugh.

He was on 58 then, but there was no hint of such an aberration as he drove off Rampaul for four or upper-cut Fidel Edwards sailing 15 rows into the stand for a six.
Dravid was also in great touch, getting to his half-century off 99 deliveries, and was on his way to his 37th Test century. Unaccountably, he tried to cut off-spinner Marlon Samuels and missed. The ball took the bail off.
Earlier, the West Indies, resuming at 575/9, survived just 3.1 overs before their innings folded up, last man Bishoo being bowled by Ashwin, who finished with five for 156.

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8:57 AM

Dravid does make the difference

Although it was Sachin Tendulkar who stole the limelight by scoring heaps of runs the contribution of Rahul Dravid in India annexing the recently concluded Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka was no less insignificant.

Already short of both the world-class openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, India desperately needed depth and resilience in their batting to dominate their rivals. The young guns had been found wanting when exposed to challenging conditions and the selectors had made the right move of going back to the basics.

While Tendulkar’s presence ensured unmatched class on top of the order, the comeback of Dravid provided the much needed strength and character to an otherwise enterprising batting line-up.

When you have the master blasters like Yuvraj Singh, Manhedra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yousuf Pathan to follow there is greater need for a solid platform to let them fire to their heart’s content.

This is exactly what happened in Colombo recently. Dravid didn’t score many in the outing against New Zealand but he spent a lot of time at crease to blunt the Black Caps attack. Dhoni and Raina did the rest with their characteristic positive stroke-play. It could have been a different story to relate if India lost early wickets even though the target wasn’t all that big.

India had already cruised into the final, having become the top ranked ODI side in the world in the process, when they came out to take on hosts Sri Lanka in their league match. Set a daunting task, the Indians were in the game until Dravid was at the crease. With his departure the Indian hopes were dashed.

With the makeshift opener Dinesh Karthik having looked out of sorts in the league matches, Dhoni made the bold move of sending Dravid in as the opening partner with Tendulkar. It turned out to be a master stroke as both the seasoned campaigners provided a perfect start that eventually won them the game as well as the trophy.

Dravid is a team man to the core and he is one man who is always more than willing to meet the challenge. He could not have desired a better comeback gift than the Compaq Trophy that was gleefully collected by skipper Dhoni.
Talking of Dhoni let us give him the credit for having laid the red carpet for Dravid, who was returning to the ODI side after quite sometime.

“Dravid is the most stable and technically sound. He is a kind of batsman who would look to take his innings till the end. He will support the middle-order and help the flashy players play their game.” Dhoni was quoted as saying before going to toss in the opening game.

"Dravid is the ideal No. 3, especially in such conditions and during the evening when the ball swings and seams, so definitely he we will bat at that position," Dhoni complimented.

Dravid has made the captain proud once more. India would need him at his best in the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa where his ability to come good in conditions difficult for batting could again lay the platform for the stroke-makers to make hay in the death overs.

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6:36 AM

Rahul Dravid raising fund for poor

Cricketer Rahul Dravid graced a weeklong fund raising campaign called `Joy of Giving Week` for the poor and downtrodden in Bangalore.

The scheme has been conceptualised by `Give India` an organization, which works with voluntary groups all over the country.

The stars and celebrities from all walks of life including Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, former badminton player Prakash Padukone and corporate bigwigs have extended support to the cause.

"It is a great concept to get so many people together. It is not necessarily just about celebrities and the well known figures. It is really about each one of us, every one of us, in our own small way contributing during that week and just getting a movement together which is something that can grow into something really big in the years to come," said Dravid.


The weeklong scheme would include giving clothes to the needy, helping orphanages, providing school bags, health aid and educational support to the downtrodden.

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6:43 AM

Social community sites hits India’s top cricketers

They may have trained hard to counter the short-pitched deliveries in their preparatory camp but it’s a cyber bouncer that has left India’s top cricketers a worried lot.

As the star players gear up for a gruelling season ahead, they are faced with a bizarre problem -- cyber impersonation on micro-blogging site ‘Twitter’.

The increasing popularity of the site in India has brought with it a problem which has the potential to create confusion and mislead unsuspecting cricket buffs.

What is worse, the players, who have millions of fans in a cricket-crazy nation, can do little about it.


Most of the celebrated Indian players have accounts on ‘Twitter’ but almost all of them are fake. They have already drawn a huge list of dedicated followers and it keeps growing every passing day.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has four ‘accounts’ on the networking site with one of them having attracted 2291 followers till Sunday.

In the profile page, it shows Dhoni with the Indian cap and the bio says “I am the captain of the national cricket team”.

Dhoni’s agents and family members have made it clear that the Indian captain does not have an account on Twitter, seeking to dissociate themselves from the handiwork of a prankster who operates the page.

“Dhoni does not have an account on Twitter. Many people have called us and we want to clarify this point” his elder brother Narendra Singh Dhoni told reporters.

Some of the tweets from the impersonated Dhoni account, which ranges from the problems in DDCA to Vinod Kambli’s reality show, have already created some controversy.

For example, a tweet on August 26 said “I wanted to give my regards to Vinod Kambli. Had he played to his potential, he had the chance to be as great as Sachin and Lara”.

But apparently, it led to some misunderstanding among his followers. Hence another tweet within hours on the same day said “Please don’t misunderstand comments about Sachin and Kambli. Sachin is the greatest batsman to ever play the game of cricket!!”

The cyber impersonation on Twitter is not restricted to Dhoni. Champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar has as many as seven accounts with one of them, which has his photo, having over 4594 followers.

Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir are among the top cricketers who have to deal with this Twitter menace.

With many celebrities worldwide joining the Twitter bandwagon, the social networking site is aware of such problems and has introduced a ‘verified account’ badge to lend genuineness to the account and prevent identity confusion.

“To prevent identity confusion, Twitter is experimenting (beta testing) with a ‘Verified Account’ feature. We’re working to establish authenticity with people who deal with impersonation or identity confusion on a regular basis,” a Twitter communication said.

“With this feature, you can easily see which accounts we know are ‘real’ and authentic. That means we’ve been in contact with the person or entity the account is representing and verified that it is approved (This does not mean we have verified who, exactly, is writing the tweets).”

“This also does not mean that accounts without the ‘Verified Account’ badge are fake. The vast majority of accounts on the system are not impersonators, and we don’t have the ability to check 100 per cent of them. For now, we’ve only verified a handful of accounts to help with cases of mistaken identity or impersonation” it said.

Twitter has strict guidelines to prevent impersonation but it will find it difficult to keep track of such practices unless specific complaints are made.

The site’s Impersonation Policy says: “Pretending to be another person or business as entertainment or in order to deceive is impersonation.”

“Non-parody impersonation is a violation of the Terms of Service, specifically article 4 which states: You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other Twitter users.”

The standard for defining parody is, “would a reasonable person be aware that it’s a joke.” An account may be guilty of impersonation if it confuses or misleads others – accounts with the clear intent to confuse or mislead will be permanently suspended.

Parody impersonation accounts are allowed to exist. The profile information on a parody account must make it obvious that the profile is fake, or it is subject to removal from Twitter.

Fortunately, it is still early days for web impersonation in India and therefore the damage has been limited among ‘tweeple’, a term said to have been coined by Bollywood director Karan Johar to describe people on Twitter.

But many avid Dhoni fans are gradually realising that they have been fooled by a prankster. “All these days I was thinking I was following my hero Dhoni. But now I know its not him. I am disappointed,” said Chetna Rai, a Dhoni fan in Ghaziabad.

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5:59 AM

Dravid will not have any point to prove

Rahul Dravid is one of those rare guys having kept the interest of his team supreme at all times. He is a perfect role model for the young generation. He has performed exceptionally well over the years without ever having said or done anything close to boasting.

I don’t think anyone in the present generation has mastered the art of batting like him. He is a complete package. Because he is technically so sound he always has the freedom of changing gears.

Like any other human being he has had occasional his off days but never has one noticed any lack of application on his part. He has always given his best. The level of consistency attained by him in the highest form of the game is exemplary.

It was so typical of Dravid to have reacted modestly to his return in India’s ODI squad for next month's tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy. He didn't consider the recall as a chance to prove his detractors wrong.

"I have never played my cricket that way, wanting to prove a point. To me, it's about trying your best to be the best you can be, day after day, in whichever format you are playing and for whichever team you are playing," the former Indian captain was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview.

"It's nice to be back, I am very happy. I am looking forward to the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy in South Africa, to giving it my best. It will be nice to catch up with the boys once again," Dravid said.

"I will do my best for the team's cause. I have always believed in preparing well before a match or a competition and it will be no different this time," he added.

The prolific Dravid will now be making a comeback in the national one-day side after about a couple of years. He had played in the Test matches in this period but the selectors had not picked him for the limited overs games with the emphasis being on trying out the exciting crop of youngsters.

The Indian selectors obviously had an obligation to blood the youngsters at the international level after they had done wonders in the domestic competitions. Very few of them, however, managed to do justice to their talents.


There also was a feeling that the newly installed captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not very keen to have the seniors in the line-up for the ODIs or the Twenty20 Internationals. Sachin Tendulkar, it’s believed, was also reluctantly included.

Dhoni had every right to back his boys who certainly raised the bar in the department of fielding but their batting technique was found wanting on pitched where the ball moved and darted.

Dhoni would also have realized after the recent failures of the young batsmen that it was about time to turn back to the tried and trusted campaigners for an event as important as the Champions Trophy. Dravid would be indeed be a trump card for Dhoni now.

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10:32 AM

Welcome to Rahul Dravid

What a great move by the Indian cricket authorities to have recalled Rahul Dravid in the one-day arena! I think they did realize finally that life was not all about glamour and lights. The tough characters generally play the pivotal role in bringing about the results be it the entertainment industry or the field of cricket.

When we talk of mental toughness, the one man who comes to mind right away is Dravid. He was probably sidelined from the One-day Internationals in order to accommodate the enterprising youngsters who were knocking at the doors for some time.

The young guns like Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have been provided the opportunity up the order but they have not been able to deliver consistently yet. The selectors have lost faith now in Sharma at least for the time being, after his run of poor scores of late, but the left-handed Raina has made the cut once more.

Dravid’s recall has been prompted by quite a few factors. Obviously the recent failure of Sharma and other young lads in challenging conditions must have created doubts about their abilities to cope with the pressure.

Dravid’s own performance in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) staged in South Africa earlier this year was brilliant. He had proved the point that skills and experience were the vital elements even in the shortest version of the game.

Thirdly the upcoming Champions Trophy was going to be held in South Africa where the pitches would not be as flat as the ones in the Indian sub-continent. The selectors had to keep in mind the importance of grafters for conditions unfriendly for batting.

The selectors have done the right things by going back to Dravid instead of blooding another raw youngster and jeopardizing his future. It’s always a wise move to go back to the basics.

India would need the expertise of Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for putting the big totals on the board. The likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh can do the business in the latter part of the innings but they would love to have wickets in hand when going for the acceleration in the death overs.


The presence of Dravid brings stability to the Indian batting that has been found wanting more often than not in conditions not ideal for batting. He can anchor the innings and more importantly his sound technique would allow him to weather the early overs when the ball does a little bit extra.

Dravid has been a class act throughout his career. He is a team man to the core who is always there to lift the morale of the side. He will indeed feel greater energy in his legs now for the selectors have reposed confidence in him for the big challenge ahead.

With the Indians having a lethal fast bowling attack these days, Dravid is more likely to remain stationed at the slips instead of doing the running around in the outfield. The stage is set for him grab the headlines once more.

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11:15 AM

India fall-back against DRAVID -THE WALL

Mumbai: India’s Champions Trophy aspirations received a jolt when it emerged that dashing opening batsman Virender Sehwag would not feature in the otherwise strong 15 member squad named for the 8 team extravaganza in South Africa next month.

While Sehwag missed the cut due to fitness concerns, India’s batting was bolstered by the return of stalwart Rahul Dravid into Indian one-day team after a 2 year hiatus.


Dravid, who is a regular part of India’s Test set-up, last played an ODI for India way back in the October of 2007 against Australia where he managed just 51 runs from 5 innings.

Dravid’s re-induction seen as a result of India’s Twenty20 World Cup debacle in June this year where the young turks were seen struggling against the short ball.

Meanwhile, as expected, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who off late has been selective when it comes to participation in one-dayers, too makes a comeback into the squad for the showpiece event scheduled for September.

The Mumbai Maestro last played one-dayers for India in February during India’s tour of New Zealand.

Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni would shere the willow wielding duties along with the above mentioned gladiators.

Following impressive performances on the domestic circuit and then the IPL in South Africa, young Abhishek Nayar too gets a look in for the Champions Trophy at the expense of Rohit Sharma.

Dinesh Karthick got the nod as the back-up wicket keeper in the tournament.

In the absence of Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra would be leading the Indian pace attack in the pacer friendly conditions of South Africa.

They will be supported by prodigious RP Singh and Praveen Kumar.

The spin department would be taken care off by ace offie Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra, with support from all-rounder Yusuf Pathan.

Talented tweaker Pragyan Ojha unfortunately faces omission.

Team:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Dinesh Karthick, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra

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10:28 AM

Rahul Dravid

Full name Rahul Sharad Dravid
Born January 11, 1973, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Major teams India, Scotland, ACC Asian XI, ICC World XI, Karnataka, Kent
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Career statistics


Test debut England v India at Lord's - Jun 20-24, 1996
ODI debut India v Sri Lanka at Singapore - Apr 3, 1996
First-class span 1990/91 - 2005/06
List A span 1992/93 - 2005/06

Profile:

Rahul Dravid, a cricketer who seamlessly blends an old-world classicism with a new-age professionalism, is the best No. 3 batsman to play for India - and might even be considered one of the best ever by the time his career is done. He already averages around 60 at that position, more than any regular No. 3 batsman in the game's history, barring Don Bradman. Unusually for an Indian batsman, he also averages more overseas - around 60, again - than at home. But impressive as his statistics are, they cannot represent the extent of his importance to India, or the beauty of his batsmanship. When Dravid began playing Test cricket, he was quickly stereotyped as a technically correct player capable of stonewalling against the best attacks - his early nickname was 'The Wall' - but of little else. As the years went by, though, Dravid, a sincere batsman who brought humility and a deep intelligence to his study of the game, grew in stature, finally reaching full blossom under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. As a New India emerged, so did a new Dravid: first, he put on the wicketkeeping gloves in one-dayers, and transformed himself into an astute finisher in the middle-order; then, he strung together a series of awe-inspiring performances in Test matches, as India crept closer and closer to their quest of an overseas series win. Dravid's golden phase began, arguably, in Kolkata 2001, with a supporting act, when he made 180 to supplement VVS Laxman's classic effort of 281 against Australia. But from then on, Dravid became India's most valuable player, saving them Tests at Port Elizabeth, Georgetown and Trent Bridge, winning them Tests at Headlingley, Adelaide, Kandy and Rawalpindi. At one point during this run, he carved up four centuries in successive innings, and hit four double-centuries in the space of 15 Tests, including in historic away-wins at Adelaide and Rawalpindi. As India finished off the 2004 Pakistan tour on a winning note, on the back of Dravid's epic 270, his average crept past Sachin Tendulkar's - and it seemed no aberration. Dravid's amazing run was no triumph of substance over style, though, for he has plenty of both. A classical strokeplayer who plays every shot in the book, he often outscores team-mates like Tendulkar and Laxman in the course of partnerships with them, and while his pulling and cover-driving is especially breathtaking, he has every other shot in the book as well. He is both an artist and a craftsman, repeatedly constructing innings that stand out not merely for the beauty of their execution, but for the context in which they come. By the time he entered his 30s, Dravid was already in the pantheon of great Indian batsmen, alongside Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. In October 2005, he was appointed captain the one-day side, began with a thumping 6-1 hammering of Sri Lanka in a home series, and was soon given responsibility of the Test side as well, taking over from the controversy-shrouded Sourav Ganguly.

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1:02 AM