'Some of the toughest pitches I've faced' - Dravid

ESPNcricinfo staff

Rahul Dravid has described India's Test series against West Indies as a tough learning experience for the younger batsmen and he hopes it will hold them in good stead for the future. India have not posted 300-plus in any of the four innings so far, but they lead the three-Test series 1-0 heading in to the final match.

"It's been tough for the batsmen," Dravid said. "It's not been easy for young batsmen to come in and face the new ball on these tracks. I have played four tours here and this has been some of the toughest tracks I have faced. Guys will learn a lot from this experience. It will hold them in good stead. As I was telling some of them they probably might not play on these kinds of tracks."

The likes of Virat Kohli and M Vijay haven't really come to the terms with the pitches and neither man has made 50 runs for the whole series. Vijay battled hard for nearly two hours in the first innings in Barbados and Kohli fought hard in the second innings but neither converted their starts. Abhinav Mukund made 48 in the second innings but couldn't carry on. Dravid felt that in the circumstances, India's batting had held up well.

"It's been a tough, hard series from the batsmen's perspective," he said. "The tracks have been slightly tilted towards bowlers, which is good. The West Indies' bowling has been good. From that perspective we have been challenged in this series and that has been good. People might say the batting hasn't fired but in the context of the series we have not done too badly. The tracks have had pace and bounce compared to the tracks they played in ODIs and tracks we played last time. If not for rain in Barbados we would have had two results."

	Rahul Dravid says the batsmen have had to work hard on difficult pitches © Associated Press Enlarge

Dravid counted Ishant Sharma as one of the big positives to emerge from this series. "Ishant has been sensational. Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Abhimanyu Mithun and Amit Mishra all have done their job. The slip catching has been good. Touch wood, I hope I don't jinx it but slip catching has been top class. These are all the positives."

Ishant suffered a light cut under his eye while playing football in the training session today but Dravid said the injury wasn't serious. "Ishant has just a small bruise. A little bit of cut. He should be fine."

Dravid said India would go in to the final Test in Dominica with a winning mindset, rather than opting for safety first and trying to keep their 1-0 lead. "The Test match is an important one," Dravid said. "We are not worrying about the series. We've got the team to win this Test match. We would have liked to win the series in Barbados but to lose 130 overs due to rain was disappointing. We were in control of that Test match, especially from the second innings onwards. This is a good chance to win a series here again. We have to put up five days of big performance here."

Dravid said he hadn't seen the pitch yet but that he believed it would have some pace and bounce. "There will be some good atmosphere - this is the first Test match here and I believe when a one-day match was played here there was good crowd," he said. "Hopefully they will come in for the Test."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

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Dravid Statistical Highlights After 2nd Test

# Rahul Dravid  (55) has recorded his second highest innings at Bridgetown -- the highest being 78 in March 1997.
# Dravid's knock is his 11th fifty against the West Indies.
# Dravid is the first player to complete 200 runs in the present series, totalling 212 (ave.53.00), including one hundred and one fifty.
# Dravid (6996 at an average of 53.81 in 85 Tests) needs just four runs to complete his 7,000 runs overseas.
# Dravid now holds an Indian record with his 60th fifty, eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 59 fifties.
# Dravid is the second batsman to post 60 fifties in Tests, joining Allan Border (63).
# Rahul Dravid is the first player to appear in 200 innings at number three in Test cricket.

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Mukund says batting with Dravid helped

@IEWY News

After contributing to India’s cause by scoring 48 runs in the second innings, opener Abhinav Mukund said he took inspiration from the rival batting line-up.
“Sitting at forward short leg and watching ( Marlon) Samuels and (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul bat, I took a leaf (out of their book),” said Mukund after his career-boosting knock at the Kensington Oval on Friday.
“The two were playing too late. Chanderpaul was leaving a lot of balls which were close (to the off stump) also. I too wanted to play as late and leave as many as possible,” remarked Mukund who shared an important 63-run second wicket stand with Rahul Dravid.
His innings somewhat redeemed the tour for Mukund after his failures in the first three Test knocks of his international career.
“We (the two openers) didn’t have enough time to adjust. We landed here just three days before (the first Test). It’s been tough, I can be honest about it. The bounce is really steep. But I feel it’s good for me that I have played in tough conditions.”
Mukund was hit on his helmet by one such steep bouncer from Edwards and he remembers the delivery as a really quick one.
“Any human being will tell you (it hurts). When you are hit, your body tells you are at war. It’s a state of shock. But I wanted to convince myself I could face Test bowling.”

Mukund said a punched drive he executed off Edwards in the second innings of the first Test gave him a lot of confidence.
“I remember the shot I played in the second innings of the first Test, punching Fidel (Edwards) for four. I felt confident that I could straight drive too (at this level).”
Mukund revealed he couldn’t sleep much ahead of his first Test at Jamaica last week.
“I didn’t sleep much on the night before the first Test. My body clock wasn’t set either. I remember the first over I played in Test cricket. I was nervous but I didn’t try to do anything about it.”
Having been nervous, it still surprised most that Mukund preferred to take first strike rather than his more experienced partner Murali Vijay go for it.
“I told him that I would take the first strike. I have always taken the first strike, even at Ranji Trophy level. It isn’t as if he didn’t want to face first.”
Mukund termed it a fortunate coincidence that he has played with the first five batters of the present Indian line-up.
“I am fortunate that I have played with all the first five batters previously. It is a really comfortable atmosphere in the dressing room.
“Having batted with Dravid today, you learn a lot. He is gutsy, he keeps talking to himself in the centre. He kept telling me watch the ball, watch the ball.”
Mukund termed the Kensington Oval pitch as unpredictable. “A few deliveries rise off a length. The new ball holds the key, for them and for us as well. If the weather is good,, it could be a good Test match.”

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India's batting line-up can grind any pace attack: Tremlett

ANI Jul 3, 2011, 12.37pm IST @TOI
LONDON: England pacer Chris Tremlett is fully aware that it is not easy to bowl to India's star studded batting line-up, as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are capable of crushing any pace attack in the world.
The Hampshire-born pacer made his England debut against India at Lord's in 2007 in an ill-tempered series that the tourists won 1-0.
After shining against Sri Lanka in the on going series and getting into the top 10 of the ICC bowling rankings, Tremlett is ready to take on the ultimate test in world cricket to stop India's batting line-up.

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Chris Tremlett is worried of India's star studded batting line-up. (TOI Photo)

 

Tremlett said: "If they've got all their main players playing then it will be tougher than Sri Lanka - they're the number one side in the world for a reason."
"I played in 2007 which was obviously a great experience for me. We lost that series even though I don't think we bowled too badly," he said.
"They are probably the hardest batsmen in the world to get out - they're certainly the most patient," Tremlett said.
"For a bowler, taking on that batting line-up is as big as it gets because they will grind you down. They are never in a hurry to get their runs," The Mirror quoted him, as saying
Since coming back into the England side Tremlett has taken 32 wickets at an average of just over 23.

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Dravid provides a fascinating glimpse into his batting methods

S. Dinakar for The Hindu
Raina, particularly in the second innings, handled the short-ball well

Rahul Dravid lives in the ‘present moment' at the crease but has this precious ability to look deep into a contest.

This insightful batsman breaks the innings into compartments, wear downs the attack in the most demanding of conditions. Dravid can visualise an innings mentally, move into what professional sportsmen call the ‘zone.'

During his outstanding innings of 112 at Sabina Park, the steely batsman provided us a fascinating glimpse into his methods.

On a surface of variable bounce, he played with the full face of the willow when the ball was on a good length or pitched up.

He collected runs between extra cover and ‘straightish' mid-wicket with push-drives rather than full-fledged drives. Only when the bowler erred in line did he venture into those wristy flicks.

Seizing scoring chances

And he was quick to seize in on the scoring opportunities with horizontal bat strokes when the delivery was lacking in length; an important element of batting on such tracks.

There were occasions when he shortened his back-lift; this was again in keeping with the nature of the pitch. The erudite Dravid is someone who is always willing to make subtle technical adjustments.

Dravid was short of runs going into the second Test against England at Mohali in 2008. This was a phase when he was a tad vulnerable outside the off-stump.

The thoughtful Dravid adopted a different, two-eyed stance in the Test. While an open stance can limit a batsman's driving off the front foot on the off-side, the two-eyed stance allows him to have a clear look at deliveries on or outside the off-stump.

Dravid made a determined 136 in the Indian first innings. Once he rediscovered his batting rhythm, he reverted to his classical side-on stance.

Raina impresses

Suresh Raina is deeply influenced by Dravid's batsmanship. The left-hander impressed with his solid, focused ways in the Test.

Raina, particularly in the second innings when Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul bent their backs, handled the short-ball well. Importantly, he did not take his eye off the sphere.

The same cannot be said of Virat Kohli whose feet movement froze when Edwards pounded him with some vicious, lifting deliveries. Word travels quickly in cricketing circles and Kohli is bound to be targeted in the coming days. Test cricket is a different ball game.

Creditably for someone who made a huge jump from domestic cricket to facing a charged-up Edwards at Sabina Park, Abhinav Mukund was not found wanting.

Mukund unruffled

The left-hander was sure about his off-stump and appeared comfortable off the back-foot which is an essential attribute at this level. Mukund was unruffled by the short-pitched deliveries.

Another debutant, Praveen Kumar, was buzzing. He moved the new and the old ball either way with a wristy, whippy action that made it difficult for the batsmen to pick the delivery at the point of release.

Praveen opened up the right-handers with his out-swing and shifted his line admirably to the southpaws.

Actually, skipper Dhoni deserves credit for switching Praveen's ends — he was brought on from the Michael Holding end — that resulted in the medium-pacer sending down the game-opening spell on day two. Dhoni's move enabled Praveen to bowl against the breeze that enhanced his out-swing.

And Ishant Sharma operated with speed, bounce and intensity. The tall Ishant, with his hit-the-deck methods, and the much shorter Praveen, with his deceptive movement in the air, form an interesting combination.

Praveen, however, got into serious problems for running on to the danger area. Skipper Dhoni explained, “That's one of the problems when you graduate from 10-over-bowling (in the ODIs) to Tests where a bowler has to be a lot more careful about such things.”

Harbhajan batted with typical spunk but should have attempted to spin the ball into the right-hander from at least half a foot outside the off-stump. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra impressed only in patches.

Harper's goof-ups

Umpire Daryl Harper had an ordinary game and at least four decisions went against India. But then, BCCI's opposition to UDRS is not without logic.

The Hawk Eye has its limitations. And if the Hot Spot technology — which is at the heart of the UDRS — is not available for all series, then the system makes little sense. In a level-playing international field, you cannot have Hot Spot for a series in England or Australia and not have the same for the contests in the West Indies or Sri Lanka.

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Dravid: Give youngsters time

Original News Link
Veteran Rahul Dravid has come out in support of the young India batsmen who failed to live up the hype in India's 63-run win in the first Test against the West Indies.
Rahul Dravid's 112 in the second innings proved to be the platform for India's win but the youngsters, drafted in place of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, failed to make their mark.
Dravid, however, said the youngsters need to be backed and given time to prove themselves.
India's middle order has been well served by Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, but vacancies are going to open up sooner than later.
Dravid said youngsters look even better than the famous quartet in talent.
"We all needed time - we have been around for 15 years since we were given a bit of time and you can't expect performances straight away," Dravid said.
"To be fair to these guys, they have been performing brilliantly in ODIs and I believe Indian cricket is in good hands and these youngsters are going to perform much better than we did even."
India ended up with a comfortable win but there were moments in the match when India looked own and out and Dravid admitted the team will have to play much better in the coming days.
"We know we need to do better than we did in this Test. If we are honest we know there are areas we need to improve on, and hopefully we will get that right in Barbados. It has not been easy: a lot of guys have come off a flight two-three days before the Test and there's been no practice game. Hopefully this win is a good lead-up, and the guys will do better in the next game."

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Rahul Dravid moves to top-20 Test Rankings

However, star batsman Rahul Dravid jumped nine places to return to the top 20 after his man-of-the-match performance in the first Test against West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica.
Dravid earned 45 rating points after scoring a match-saving innings of 112 in India's second innings.

Full Article 

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Dravid wants Team India to put better show than 2006

Former captain, Rahul Dravid, expects the Indian cricket team to come up with even better performance in the upcoming West Indies tour than the one they demonstrated in 2006.

During India’s tour to West Indies in 2006, the team, under the superb captaincy of Dravid, made a mark in history by winning a Test series on West Indian soil after the long period of 35 years.
Dravid led his side to a triumph in the four-match series and become the only second Indian captain to have won Test series in Caribbean after Ajit Wadekar.

"We won the series there last time around but I hope we will do better this time," Dravid said.
However, the stylish batsman admitted that the Windies will not prove to be an easy opposition in their home conditions.

The former skipper added, "If the West Indies play their full strength side, they will be a tough team to beat. But it will be interesting to see if they have their full side."  

Dravid, widely known as ‘The Wall’, has served his country in 150 Tests in which he scored over 12000 runs at a fabulous average of 52.44.

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Sachin Rested, Yuvraj & Gauti Out, Mukund & Kohli Earn Test Cap

India's Already Weak Line Up Against West Indies in Test Series suffered another blow with the World Cup Hero Yuvraj Singh & The In-Form Gambhir OUT because of injury, Sachin Was rested for the entire Series. Flamboyant Virat Kohli finally gets a chance in test after his brilliant outing in World Cup & IPL and Tamil Nadu Opener A Mukund also earned a spot after a prolific Ranji Season.

Suresh Raina has been appointed captain for the one-dayers and the Twenty20 fixture and Harbhajan Singh, the vice-captain. 

Shikhar Dhawan and Manoj Tiwary have replaced Yuvraj and Gambhir in the limited-overs squad.  

So, in all India are without Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer Khan, Gambhir and Ashish Nehra for the one-dayers.

Chairman Of Selectors K Srikkanth told the reporters :

 "I think we will do very well. I think we have an excellent team and I think as you know, I think all the last couple of years indirect or directly there have been teams that has been, we've always had teams, we've always kind of shuffled people so that, we always create a good bench strength."

And I think we have a fantastic bench strength and I'm sure India can easily produce almost two good international teams because we have the talent. We have the potential and I'm very confident that our team will do very well in West Indies and hopefully win the series in West Indies,"

He Also Said “Tendulkar deserved to take rest and then Yuvraj was not well, so we have picked the best available squad. We have analysed every problem… The injuries to the players… That is why the meeting took long,” said the former Test opener.

“We got very good inputs from the coach and the captain was also present. So I am really happy to have picked this squad. I think we will do well in the ODI and Test series,” he said."

Test squad: M S Dhoni (capt), V V S Laxman (vice-captain), M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk).

Limited-overs squad: Suresh Raina (capt), R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Munaf Patel, Parthiv Patel (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Shikhar Dhawan.

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Dravid takes break in Shillong after IPL

SHILLONG: Following a Mixed IPL  campaign with the Rajasthan Royals, former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid who was the highest run scorer for RR This Season went to Shillong. It Was a Personal & Quite visit by him

Dravid, Seldom known  as "The Wall" of Indian cricket , arrived in Shillong on  Monday and left for Bangalore on Friday morning. He managed to keep his visit under wraps and the local media failed to get even a piece of it.

"He (Dravid) was here on a holiday and left Shillong this morning," said Dravid's brother-in-law Abhijit Pendharkar, who is a colonel in the Assam Rifles.

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Dravid to be guest at Al Jazira's celebrations

Abu Dhabi: Indian batting great Rahul Dravid will be the surprise guest at Al Jazira Football Club's historic league and Cup double celebrations at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on June 5.
There to hit soft balls into the crowd for fans to catch and win a prize, Dravid is just one of the pre- and post-match entertainment options during the club's last home game of the season against Dubai Club, before ushering in the club's first-ever Etisalat Pro League and President's Cup trophies. A free night of entertainment with concerts from local and international artists will precede one lucky fan driving away in a Dh1 million Ferrari Italia 458, billed as the biggest give-away in the history of UAE football.
Al Jazira has experienced unbridled success this year both on and off the pitch not only winning silverware for the first time in their 37-year history but enjoying average crowds of 15,000, including the record attendance for a UAE Pro League game of 28,000 spectators.

The club also has 8,000 registered season card holders.

Source : Gulf News

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A Royal Send Off To Warne

 

Disciplined bowling effort followed by amazing unbeaten opening stand saw RR crushing MI on their home ground.

Scorecard:
MI: 133/5
RR: 134/0 (13.1 overs Watson 89* Dravid 43*)

"It was good to finish on a high, great way to send off Warney, he is a legend of the game and has been brilliant in our dressing room. It's been an up and down season for us, we've had quite a young side but today we've shown what we can do. It's easy to bat at the other end when someone is going like that. One year is a long time, but if I am fit and still playing well, I would like to come back. I've enjoyed it, I would have liked to be in the playoffs."

- Rahul Dravid after the match 

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Rahul Dravid Evinces Interest in Promoting Young Cricketers in Coastal Karnataka

Rahul Dravid Evinces Interest in Promoting Young Cricketers in Coastal Karnataka
Daijiworld Media Network—Dubai (CN)
Abu Dhabi, May 18: Former Indian cricket captain and ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid is keen to nurture the cricketing skills of the young generation in Karnataka, and in the coastal districts in particular. Dravid, who visited Abu Dhabi recently for a cricket promotion event, disclosed this during his meeting with Dayananda Bangera, former Goa Ranji player and proud Mangalorean cricketer who has represented the UAE national team in many international matches.

Bangera, who is a Level 2-certified coach, presently residing in Abu Dhabi, has been keenly taking an interest in encouraging young cricket players. He has a special desire to promote cricket among the young kids in the coastal districts of Karnataka.
“It is sad that we do not see any major cricket talent in the Indian team and Karnataka's representation in national cricket is very disappointing of late. If this continues, the state loses importance in cricket in the cricket crazy nation,” said Bangera.
“Luckily, Rahul Dravid is very keen about promoting and developing cricket among school kids and young players. He is ready to travel across the coastal districts to train young guns and he is very keen to develop cricket in the region. He too expressed his disappointment about the lack of state representation in the national side,” added Bangera.
“Once the IPL is completed, Dravid will put the proposal of promoting cricket in the coastal district before the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which will surely meet the demands and needs of coastal districts, as currently the KSCA is led by young and honest leaders like Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, and Venkatesh Prasad,” said Bangera hoping for a better future for cricket in the coastal districts.
Bangera stressed to Dravid that KSCA must pick potential candidates to train or play at the state level as this will help them to be groomed better.
Bangera added that being an international cricketer will not help coach any teams or players officially. One has to undergo training under ICC and pass out after training at a different level.

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I hope we will do better in West Indies this time: Dravid

   

Former captain Rahul Dravid is hopeful about the Indian cricket team improving upon its 2006 performance in the upcoming tour of the West Indies.  During the 2006 West Indies tour, the Indian team created history under Dravid's captaincy when they won a Test series in the Caribbean for the first time in 35 years. 

"We won the series there last time around but I hope we will do better this time," he said on the sidelines of a promotional event.

"If the West Indies play their full strength side, they will be a tough team to beat. But it will be interesting to see if they have their full side." 

Dravid became only the second Indian skipper, after Ajit Wadekar, to have won a Test series in the West Indies when he led India to a 1-0 victory in a four-match rubber in 2006.

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Full-fledged WI will be strong: Dravid

MUMBAI: West Indies look a better side than what most thought after their thrilling 40-run win in the first Test against Pakistan at Georgetown, Guyana. However, will they be able to stand up to the might of world champs India in a series that begins in the Caribbeans from June 4? Rahul Dravid certainly thinks so.

He feels that if some of the top West Indian cricketers playing in the Indian Premier League - and not playing for the Windies for various reasons - return to international cricket, the Calypso Charmers will present a formidable challenge.

"I still think that a full-fledged West Indian team will be a very strong side to play against. But it will be interesting to see if they have their full side," Dravid said at a promotional event of the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. Former Windies skipper Chris Gayle, excluded from the team and involved in a run-in with the cricket authorities back home, has been in blistering form for the Royal Challengers Bangalore this season, having smashed an incredible 32 sixes and two hundreds, both unique feats in the context of the IPL. Other than the explosive opener, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, Jerome Taylor and Kieron Pollard have also been playing in the League, instead of representing their country.

The former India skipper (remember!) led the team to a historic series win (1-0), the first in 35 years, in the Caribbean in 2006. This time, he will tour as just a player, that too in Tests. "We won the series there last time. I hope we will do better this time," said Dravid.

Analysing his IPL team's performances this season, which hasn't been great - Royals have lost seven, including the last four in a row, while winning just five out of 13 - Dravid said: "We are not in a position to get to the play-offs. We have got some up and down performances. There have been some good efforts too. We have some youngsters doing well for us. We can improve next year. We hope to do our best in the upcoming seasons."

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Part-time spinners would give India an edge: Rahul Dravid

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Part-time spinners would give India an edge: Rahul Dravid

Former India captain Rahul Dravid feels the presence of part-time spinners in the Indian squad would give them an edge in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2011 which gets underway in Dhaka on Saturday, 19 February.

“India are obviously one of the favourites, said the prolific middle order batsman. They have been playing well for a number of years. Its a well-balanced side with a number of spinning all-rounders or part-time bowlers, which gives India a big advantage,” Dravid reckoned.

The latest edition of the mega cricketing event would be jointly hosted by three Test playing nations of South Asia with India being one of the co-hosts. There are concerns that the pressure of playing at home might adversely affect India’s performance in the tournament but their captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni recently said that the team would take it as an added responsibility.

The 38-year-old prolific batsman from Madhya Pradesh praised Dhoni’s approach and said that playing at home should be taken as a privilege rather than pressure.

“It's a great priviledge to be playing at home in front of home fans. Rather than seeing it as pressure, it should be seen as a great priviledge,” he said.

Dravid, who has also been keeping the wickets occasionally, urged the team to maintain fitness and keep the spirits up during the six-week long tournament.

“It's a matter of peaking at the right time, keeping fit and enjoying and keeping the spirit up during the long tournament,” said Dravid, who was the captain of the Indian side that was knocked out after the first round during the ICC World Cup 2007.

The triumphant captain of the 1983 World Cup, Kapil Dev also advised the team to enjoy playing in the tournament and give their best without taking any kind of pressure. The Haryana Hurricane also advised the Dhoni-led team to perform like a unit in the tournament and not rely on a single player.

India, one of the strong contenders for the coveted trophy, have been placed in Group B of the World Cup which also includes England, South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands.

Dhoni’s men will open their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on 19 February in Dhaka with hopes that history does not repeat itself.

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Virender Sehwag defends cautious Rahul Dravid

Virender Sehwag was quick to defend Rahul Dravid's slow approach to his innings yesterday. Dravid went on to register his 30th

Test century, but that was after consuming 100 deliveries for his initial 17 runs.

Dravid and Sehwag added a second-wicket stand of 237 runs as India amassed 329-3 at stumps. "He (Dravid) played his game and I played mine. We complement each other well.

He is such an experienced individual, and knows his own game better than anyone else. When we bat together, we never have to say too many things to each other. There's a great understanding," said Sehwag.

Rahul Dravid on his way to a hundred against NZ at Motera yesterday. PIC/AFP

The duo of Dravid and Sehwag has featured in several match-winning partnerships. In fact, Dravid has proved to be Sehwag's most successful partner -- the duo averages a hundred stand every five innings.

Sehwag in partnerships:

>> With Rahul Dravid: Innings: 50, Runs: 3038, Highest: 410, Average: 63.29, 100 partnerships: 10

>> With Gautam Gambhir Innings: 50, Runs: 2890, Highest: 233, Average: 60.20, 100 partnerships: 7

lWith Sachin Tendulkar
Innings: 19, Runs: 1230, Highest: 336, Average: 64.00, 100 partnerships: 3

>> With VVS Laxman Innings: 16, Runs: 493, Highest: 100, Average: 30, 100 partnerships: 1

Memorable Dravid-Sehwag partnerships:

410-run opening stand against Pakistan, Lahore, January 2006

268-run stand against South Africa, Chennai, March 2008

237-run stand against Sri Lanka, Mumbai, December 2009

http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2010/nov/051110-Virender-Sehwag-Rahul-Dravid-slow-approach.htm

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Determined Dravid overcomes the pressure

	Rahul Dravid's 104 may not have been his most attractive, but was very significant © Associated Press
Teams: India

These are not easy times to be Rahul Dravid. In his previous innings, on home soil in Bangalore, he walked out to replace the man who many see as his eventual successor. Cheteshwar Pujara had batted with tremendous poise and fluency for 72 and the cheers for Dravid mingled with the applause for a future star. Murali Vijay, who made a hundred in the first innings of that game, had also shown himself to be someone capable of filling any breach in the top three.

Every time Dravid fails from here on, there will be clarion calls for youth. Even when he succeeds, there will be those who say that his presence at No.3 isn't beneficial for the long-term health of Indian cricket. In a country where those in their late 20s like Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif are considered past it, what chance does a soon-to-be-38-year-old have?

This century, his 30th, won't feature in the highlights reels of his career. The opposition wasn't the most taxing and the pitch, though two-paced, was little more than benign. But for a man who has struggled since two wonderful stroke-filled hundreds against Sri Lanka at the end of last year, this was a defining innings in more ways than one.

In his previous Ahmedabad appearance, he had taken India from 32 for 4 to over 400 with a 177 that was as full of intent as any innings he had ever played. This was a very different knock. With Sehwag playing as is his wont, even on a pitch where the ball didn't come on as you'd expect on the opening day of a game, he was becalmed for long periods early on. He faced 105 balls for his first 17 runs, and was fortunate when Gareth Hopkins failed to hold on to a bottom edge off Jesse Ryder when he had just 28.

But in the hour before tea, something changed. The feet started to move more decisively, and the strokes that had previously found the inner ring started to streak away through the gaps. In a passage of play where India scored 69 runs, Dravid made 44 of them. By the time the bat was raised for the hundred that took him past the greatest No.3 of them all, Sir Donald Bradman, he had made 83 from just 111 deliveries. With Sehwag slowing down as a result of a slight jarring of the knee, it was just what India needed to keep the pressure on.

Dravid would be the first to admit that he isn't as prolific as he once was. But leaving aside the statistical anomaly that was Bradman, the law of diminishing returns has affected the greatest of No.3s. Being the pivot of the batting order comes with its own pressures, and unlike those who bat lower down the order, there's no hiding from the dangers of the new ball.

Viv Richards averaged 55.18 with 15 centuries after his first 60 Tests. In his next 61, he made nine more hundreds, but the average dipped to 50.23. Ricky Ponting has suffered similarly. When Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath brought the curtain down on a golden generation with a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Sydney, Ponting was averaging 59.29 with 33 hundreds. In 38 games since, he has made six centuries, but the mean has dipped to 54.68.

In Dravid's case, he ended the tour of the Caribbean in 2006 with two masterful half-centuries at Sabina Park, on a spiteful pitch where even Brian Lara was made to look ordinary. At that stage, 104 Tests into his career, he averaged 58.75 with 23 hundreds. In 41 matches since then, he has made seven centuries and 13 other scores in excess of 50. But the average is 39.65, largely a result of the failure to play the monumental innings that were once his forte. Only once, at Motera last year, has he gone past 150.

Something about batting with Sehwag brings out the best in him though. In some ways, as bizarre as it may sound, they are birds of a feather. The tempos may be very different but both trust in the method that has brought them so many runs. Sehwag, who has now added 3038 runs with Dravid (average of 63.29) from 50 innings, said as much after the day's play. "Rahul takes his time when he is batting," he said. "He is batting in his own style and I bat the way I want to. It's easier. We never discuss stuff like you should score fast or slow. He bats the way he knows and I bat the way I know."

Even when batting as fluently as he did in Ahmedabad last year, Dravid has never forced the issue with unnecessary innovations or improvisation. In that sense, he and Jacques Kallis remain a last tenuous link to the old ways of Test-match batsmanship.

Another missed catch - again Hopkins, but this time off Jeetan Patel - gave him a reprieve on 92, and there was more than a hint of fatigue about the shot that cost him his wicket with the close of play in sight. The snipers may have been temporarily deprived of ammunition, but yet again the big innings had eluded him.

How much longer can he go on? South Africa lie in wait at the end of the year, the pace and swing of Dale Steyn and the height and hustle of Morne Morkel. More importantly, how do the selectors view Indian cricket's future? If Pujara and Vijay are considered ready, would a tour of the Caribbean, against a team that's been in disarray for years, be a good place to blood them? Will Dravid walk of his own volition?

In some cases, form hasn't always been the prime consideration for moving a player on. Steve Waugh, another with resolve hewn from granite, averaged 76.61 in a final year bookended by Sydney Tests. Yet, with Michael Clarke waiting in the wings, it was decided that he needed to move on. Waugh would have loved another crack at India in India, but it was Adam Gilchrist and Ponting that led Australia as the final frontier was finally surpassed less than a year later.

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Me and Dravid did not discuss batting styles: Sehwag

Ahmedabad: Flamboyant opener Virender Sehwag on Thursday said he and Rahul Dravid did not discuss even once their different batting styles even as they struck contrasting centuries on the opening day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand here.

While Sehwag was his usual aggressive self, scoring a quick hundred, Dravid took time to get into groove and gradually improved his strike rate.

Sehwag’s 173 came off 199 balls while Dravid took 227 balls for his 104-run knock.

In the process, they shared a splendid 237-run stand for the second wicket, their 10th century-stand, and helped India reach a solid 329 for three at close.

Sehwag said they were talking to each other regularly but ‘how to get runs’ never became a topic.

“I play my way and he plays his way. He has his own style and I bat in my style. We were chatting a lot but not on how quickly he should score or I should. He knows how to get runs and he got them,” said Sehwag, who had put on a mammoth 410-run stand with Dravid at Lahore in Pakistan in 2006.

Sehwag said the hosts are looking to pile up a total in excess of 500 tomorrow to put New Zealand under pressure.

“We are looking at 500 or 550. If we can reach there we can put pressure on the New Zealand batsmen as the wicket is a slow and I think it will start to turn on the third or fourth day,” said Sehwag who slammed his 22nd Test ton, said.

Sehwag said he hurt his right knee when he fell down while running between the wickets in the morning and the pain became intense after tea.

“Till tea I was batting well but after tea there was pain in the knee and I could not concentrate,” said the Delhi dasher, who struck 24 fours and a six in his 199-ball essay.

Sehwag’s hundred was his sixth in just the last 13 Tests in just over a period of 12 months, during which he and Sachin Tendulkar have been the bulwarks of the Indian batting.

The Delhi dasher had come into the match with five 100-plus and one 200-plus scores.

Asked about the wicket, Sehwag said it was good to bat on in the morning before it got slower.

“The wicket is okay. It depends on the bowlers, how to use it. In the morning the ball came on to the bat and we scored over 120 runs. It’s becoming slow,” he said.

Sehwag said the Kiwis new-ball attack was a bit handicapped by the fact that Chris Martin, though experienced with over 50 Tests under his belt, was bowling for the first time in India while Hamish Bennett was making his debut.

“One bowler is not experienced in bowling on Indian wickets while the other is a debutant. Bennett is a good bowler and would learn from this experience. He has an awkward action which is a bit difficult to pick,” he said.

Asked about Tendulkar approaching a new landmark, his 50th Test ton, Sehwag said the champion batsman approaches every match as if it was his first.

“It’s important to treat every match the same way and that’s what he does. He always plays like it is his first Test, in a similar way,” he said.

PTI

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Dravid surpassed Sir Don Bradman For Centuries

Dravid just surpassed the greatest cricketer's tally of 29 100s.

Congrats for well built innings..!

Well played Viru, as well..!


COMMENTARY ON THAT BALL :

Patel to Dravid, 2 runs, and he gets to the hundred with the cut! Nicely helped away past cover, and limps back for two. Looks up to the heavens, then acknowledges the reception from the dressing room. Second hundred since Ahmedabad last year, and his 30th overall. Goes past Bradman, and is level sixth with hayden now on that list.

Most centuries in tests

http://tinyurl.com/Test-centuries

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