The Hindu : Sport/Cricket : Dravid making the right moves

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Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Dravid making the right moves

By S. Dinakar

CROWNING MOMENT: Rahul Dravid completes a catch to signal India's win in the first Test at Multan. — Photo: S. Subramanium

LAHORE, APRIL 3. Captaincy is about making things happen than waiting for events to unfold and Rahul Dravid, given the limitations in the Indian attack, made the right moves on the field as India embraced history in Multan.

The news ahead of the first Test was not exactly comforting for the Indian camp — skipper Sourav Ganguly had still not recovered from an injured back and would thus be missing from the line-up.

Ganguly has been an influential captain in the away campaigns over the last four years, with his often direct and aggressive methods. Not having him at the helm for such a big game would hardly have done the Indian morale any good. Ganguly's men had triumphed in a closely contested ODI series and from an Indian perspective it was crucial to keep the momentum going.

Leading the side is nothing new to Dravid as he had captained India in the ODIs, and in the Mohali Test against New Zealand early this season. In Pakistan, Dravid did get a feel of the job in the cauldron of the fifth and decisive ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium, after Ganguly went for a diving stop and had to be carried off the field. Mentally, Dravid might have been prepared to don the captain's hat again.

At Multan, Dravid had his finger on the pulse of the game right through, although his decision to declare the Indian innings in the post-tea session of the second day when Sachin Tendulkar was on 194 triggered a debate.

The two senior Indian cricketers put the incident behind them. Dravid later said "the issue has been amicably resolved,'' and India played as single, united bunch on the field.

Dravid won a crucial toss, and once India piled up a mammoth 675 for five, his job was to ensure that there would be no easing of the pressure on Pakistan. He shuffled his bowlers well, using them in short spells, switching their ends, and never really allowing the batsmen to settle into a comfort zone.

Dravid backed the bowlers with attacking fields, and all those open spaces in the outfield meant a bait was laid for the Pakistani batsmen who are essentially stroke-makers. He was prepared to buy his wickets, irrespective of the flow of runs, which is a good sign in someone leading the side.

The idea of having Sachin Tendulkar, with his assorted variety of spin, operating in the closing stages of the third day was just right, for the batsmen, who can never be sure about what is coming out of his hand, will be under more stress to survive till stumps. In the event, Moin Khan succumbed.

The decision to enforce the follow-on would not have been an easy one for Dravid, considering Zaheer Khan was out of the match with a leg-strain, and India was short of a specialist bowler. Moreover, there was a chance that the Indian bowlers, having operated for more than a day in hot, tiring conditions, might tire in the Pakistan second innings. But then, with India so close to making history, Dravid had to take a chance and the manner in which he used the non-regular bowlers in the second innings was praiseworthy.

The field-placings were clever. Given that Yasir Hameed might attempt to sweep an occasional left-arm spinner like Yuvraj Singh against the spin, there was a man waiting at short-fine leg for the top-edge, and Sehwag made no mistake. Starting the fourth morning with the impressive Irfan Pathan and Tendulkar bowling in tandem was also a well thought out ploy that worked.

Dravid often had a quiet word with youngsters such as Irfan Pathan and Balaji by getting them to put that extra yard, and he understands Anil Kumble's bowling so well that he was always likely to make good use of the senior leg-spinner.

"A captain is only as good as the team. I am a firm believer in that,'' he said after the Multan win, but as the stand-in captain, he had played his part.

A good student of the game, the committed Dravid has also handled the pressures that go with the job well. Given that Ganguly might return for the final Test in Rawalpindi, Dravid awaits another challenge in the second Test. As he said, "there is a lot of cricket left in the series.''

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