The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sourav knows what to do: Dravid

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Sourav knows what to do: Dravid

By Our Principal Correspondent

KOCHI, MARCH 30. These are not the best of times for the Prince of Kolkata, the Indian captain. While his vice-captain Rahul Dravid has been amassing runs, Ganguly has been finding disappointing lows in his cricket career.

His captain is going through a lean patch. What will be Dravid's suggestion to improve Ganguly's game?

"Sourav has been around for more than 10 years now. I'm sure he knows what to do. I don't think there's anything I need to tell him. Everybody goes through a lean patch some time or the other," said Dravid, currently ranked No.2 in the world's best batsmen list.

Well, there's talk that Dravid should take over the captaincy? Would he like to take it?

"No comments," said the vice-captain almost in a hurry.

Dravid said the morale of the team was good ahead of the six-match Pepsi Cup one-day series against Pakistan, despite the loss in the Bangalore Test a couple of days ago.

"We're looking forward to the one-dayers. Hopefully, if we win the first two games, it should put us in a strong position," said Dravid. India had posted impressive wins against Australia and South Africa at Kochi's Nehru Stadium a few years ago and the vice-captain hoped that the team would pull off another good victory in Kochi.

"We've always enjoyed the games here, the overflowing crowd, the people. I know Kerala is a football country but it's nice to know cricket is making big inroads here," he said.

Tendulkar arrival

Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag will land in Kochi on Thursday afternoon. The Pakistan team is also expected on Thursday. A grand reception has been planned for the two teams at the airport.

There was some confusion for Indian captain Sourav Ganguly's name did not figure in the `flight list' of the players, received by the organisers here.

But the BCCI secretary S.K.Nair cleared the air this evening. "Ganguly has gone to Kolkata. He is expected to arrive straight from there, probably with his family," said Mr Nair.

The first batch of stars, including Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Mohammed Kaif and coach John Wright arrived in Kochi this afternoon.

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