The Hindu : Sport : I've grown into a more all-round batsman now: Dravid

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Friday, Apr 01, 2005

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I've grown into a more all-round batsman now: Dravid

By Sanjay Rajan

READING IT RIGHT?: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and the Indian coach John Wright involved in a discussion on Thursday. — Photo: V. Ganesan

KOCHI, MARCH 31. As vice-captain of the Indian team and the man Sourav Ganguly looks to for ideas, Rahul Dravid currently finds himself in an unenviable position of having to explain the reasons for the surprising defeat in the third Test in Bangalore as well as the skipper's loss of batting form.

The Karnataka batsman was not spared the question at the launch of his biography (in Malayalam) on Wednesday or even during his mother, Pushpa Dravid's painting exhibition subsequently. And Dravid, always the Wall, stood by his skipper saying he was certain to prove his critics wrong.

But Dravid knows, as does Ganguly, that the outcome of the six-match limited-overs series against Pakistan, beginning with the encounter at the Nehru International Stadium here on April 2, will go a long way in deciding whether the `Prince of Kolkata' would retain his exalted status.

Ganguly's form

Life has come a full circle for Ganguly. After the high of 2004 when his men upset Steve Waugh's farewell party at home and subsequently defeated Pakistan away in both the Test and ODI series came the low in 2005, when India lost a home series to Australia for the first time in 35 years and thereafter allowed Inzamam-ul-Haq's men to draw level through what was a most listless display by the famed Indian batting line-up on the last day. It was pretty evident then, that Ganguly's loss of batting form was gnawing into his confidence. And his captaincy is about confidence.

India's batting failure, particularly the middle-order, is a huge cause for concern. "A majority of us have not shown the kind of consistency we displayed last season. Obviously, we have not moved as much forward as we had hoped to following our exploits last year. And that's reflecting now. We need to keep maintaining high standards," said Dravid, who arrived here on Wednesday.

The highpoint of the recent Test series on an individual note was the batting exploits of Dravid and Virender Sehwag. India has been served well by Dravid's broad blade since his Test debut in 1996. Asked about the significant areas of improvement between when he started and now, Dravid said, "I'd say I've grown into a more all-round batsman now. I was strong on the leg-side when I began, but now I possess shots all around the wicket. I drive a lot better now. One learns along the way. I'm more confident as a player and a person. Guess I understand my game a lot better."

If Sehwag damages a bowler's confidence by putting away good deliveries, Dravid does it differently. "It is equally disheartening for a bowler if he is presented with the full face of the bat, ball after ball, or if a good delivery is left well."

Contemporary batsmen

Speaking about contemporary batsmen, Dravid mentioned Sehwag's bat-swing, Sachin Tendulkar's balance, Brian Lara's flair, Jacques Kallis' control and Ricky Ponting's timing as the qualities he admires.

Describing coaching at the international level as a combination of tactics and man-management, Dravid said John Wright had a positive effect on the side. "John brought about a professional and organised set-up and a new thought process."

The Indian team, sans Ganguly, had a net session on Thursday. The Pakistan team arrived from Hyderabad in the afternoon.

Wright said his contract runs through May, which implies that he would be available till the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Momentum

The Kiwi said the momentum was now with the opposition. "Obviously, the Bangalore Test was a big win for Pakistan. They would have certainly gained in confidence. We are disappointed at not having won the Test series and feel duty-bound to win the ODI series," the coach said.

Wright continued, "The first two matches are very important. At the start of the season, especially during the Asia Cup, batting was a worry in the abridged format. We have played a lot of cricket since then, and the willow wielders look a lot more settled. The bowling and fielding, especially the fielding, needs to be a lot more consistent. There are going to be big-scoring games and close contests. The bowlers need to be backed by tight fielding."

Speaking about Ganguly's loss of form, Wright said, "My job is to help him get over the difficult phase. One-day cricket is different. Playing shots will certainly help him regain touch."

Wright said the team intended to stick to the formula that helped it succeed in Pakistan.

The pitch looks nice and hard. Mr. Kasturirangan, the pitch consultant, said it would be full of runs.

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